Sanofi Pasteur announces recall of typhoid vaccine
Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, has announced that it is voluntarily recalling several batches of its typhoid fever vaccine, TYPHIM Vi®, due to concerns that the doses may not provide the intended protection against the disease.
Image/CDC
There is no safety concern for individuals who have received a TYPHIM Vi® vaccine dose from a recalled batch. The doses were identified as potentially having less antigen, the substance that stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies against the disease.
Typhim Vi vaccine is used to immunize people against S. typhi, the organism that causes typhoid fever, in those aged two or older.
The company is not recommending that people go for a booster shot earlier than normally scheduled.
“The recall may lead to a typhoid vaccine shortage,” the notice said.
CBC News in Canada reports, Nancy Simpson, director of communications for Sanofi Pasteur, said in an email, “The Typhim Vi recall is expected to impact not only Sanofi Pasteur’s worldwide supply of its vaccine, but may also lead to a typhoid vaccine shortage within the next few weeks/months.”
The company is fully conscious of the public health impact that this recall may cause and is investing all possible means at its disposal to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. The situation may be different from country to country depending on the local presence of typhoid fever manufacturers and on country stock.”
Typhoid fever is a life-threatening illness caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi. Salmonella typhi lives only in humans. Persons with typhoid fever carry the bacteria in their bloodstream and intestinal tract. In addition, a small number of persons, called carriers, recover from typhoid fever but continue to carry the bacteria. Both ill persons and carriers shed S.typhi in their feces.
You can get typhoid fever if you eat food or drink beverages that have been handled by a person who is shedding S. typhi or if sewage contaminated with S. typhi bacteria gets into the water you use for drinking or washing food. Therefore, typhoid fever is more common in areas of the world where handwashing is less frequent and water is likely to be contaminated with sewage.
Learn more about typhoid fever in this educational video
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