Whooping cough rate up
February 12, 2016
SUPPLIES of whooping cough
vaccine to the private market
fell short of demand as 12,240
whooping cough notifications were
reported in New South Wales in
2015, four times as many as 2014,
according to Fairfax Media.
With the NSW government
providing the vaccine to children
and pregnant women based on
clinical evidence, the National
Immunisation Program (NIP)
has created more demand than
anticipated in the tender for supply,
leaving, the lower prioritised
private market uncovered.
According to comments from
NSW Director of Communicable
Diseases Dr Vicky Sheppeard,
whooping cough outbreaks were
cyclical because unlike diseases
such as measles or diphtheria,
immunity given by the vaccine
diminishes after about four years.
Recent concerns over a similar
situation developing this year
have drawn attention from health
authorities while vaccine supplier
GSK has made assurances (PD 03
Feb).
The company confirmed
uninterrupted supply of its
diphtheria-tetanus-acellular
pertussis (whooping cough)
(dTpa) vaccine Boostrix in 2016 for
NIP, State, Territory and Federal
Government programs, GSK said.
However, in the face of
unprecedented demand from the
private market again this year,
GSK has clarified that stock outs
may occur intermittently, but
temporarily, in some areas around
Australia.
The company further reassured
PD that they are “working to
resolve the situation and are
expecting additional supplies to be
available in the coming months”.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 12 Feb 16To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 12 Feb 16
