This week, it’s likely that many pediatricians in the U.S. did some deep thinking about their office refrigerators. On Wednesday, a government report revealed that some free vaccines for kids — those part of the nationwide Vaccines for Children (VFC) program designed to serve low-income, uninsured or underinsured children, among others — had been stored improperly. Many were kept outside the recommended temperature range of 37 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit, which could potentially decrease their potency. The VFC program accounts for up to half of all childhood immunizations, and there could be wider implications as well since many VFC providers are private clinics that also immunize insured children. Although American parents are increasingly voicing skepticism about the necessity and safety of vaccines, the vast majority still follow their pediatricians’ advice to immunize their children against vaccine-preventable disease. This week, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) rushed to reassure them that revaccination is not necessary. “If this was compromising vaccines, we would be having outbreaks everywhere,” says Atlanta pediatrician Geoffrey Simon, the incoming chair of the AAP’s practice committee. As part of routine oversight, investigators from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in the Department of Health and Human Services sampled storage practices in 45 doctors’ offices in the five places that received the largest vaccine shipments in 2010 — New York City, California, Florida, Georgia and Texas. In addition to inconsistent temperatures, they also found that expired vaccines were stored alongside unexpired vaccines in some clinics, which could lead to a nurse inadvertently grabbing the wrong inoculation. “We were surprised we found what we did,” says Dwayne Grant, the regional inspector general who oversaw the report. Manufacturers do their best to make vaccines as hardy as possible, but if they’re allowed to get too cold or too hot, they may not be as effective as properly stored vaccines. The formulations are not so delicate that they immediately become useless if too chilled or overheated; in theory, they can gradually lose potency, bit by bit. “In all likelihood, statistically it’s … Continue reading Government Study Finds that Some Vaccines for Kids Are Stored Improperly