Triangle Park, NC: GlaxoSmithKline;. 2005. 6. Vaqta [package insert]. Whitehouse. Station, NJ: Merck; 2005. 7. Twinrix [package insert]. Research. Triangle Park ...
Hospital Pharmacy Volume 43, Number 6, p 444 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
Editorial Alternative Vaccines Revisited Dennis J. Cada, PharmD, FASHP, FASCP*
n 2006, Hospital Pharmacy published an editorial on the importance of building immunization advocacy into the continuous quality improvement processes to ensure that patient immunization needs are understood and met. It was noted that some are voicing concern over the sources of biological products. For example, several vaccines that in the past were made from egg or other tissue cultures are now grown in cultures originally derived from embryonic human media. It is important for us to realize that, depending on individual circumstances, patients and staff may have concerns about this. Some vaccines that are associated with embryonic cell cultures and include Varivax (chickenpox),2 Meruvax II3 and MMR II4 (rubella), Havrix5 and VAQTA6 (hepatitis A), Twinrix7 (hepatitis A & B), and Imovax8 (rabies), which might raise objections from some parents
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*Editor-in-Chief, Hospital Pharmacy
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Volume 43, June 2008
and medical staff. Acceptable alternative vaccines would eliminate this problem and save these parents from the difficult dilemma of choosing whether or not to vaccinate; removing roadblocks to immunization would serve to improve public health at large. The prior editorial concluded that it is incumbent on us to do what is possible to make available alternatives, encourage the pharmaceutical industry to do so as well, and petition the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to process any such application expeditiously. A new Seattle-based biotech firm, AVM Biotechnology LLC (www.avmbiotech.com), has recently announced it will attempt to offer alternatives to some vaccines derived from human media. Theresa Deisher PhD is the founder and Research Director. Although it is too early to determine if their research will be suc-
cessful, as the company currently has no commercialized products. If they do become available, they will be a welcome addition for those patients who feel they presently have to compromise their beliefs. REFERENCES 1. Cada, DJ. Alternative Vaccines. Hosp Pharm. 2006;41(4):313. 2. Varivax [package insert]. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck; 2005. 3. Meruvax II [package insert]. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck; 2002. 4. M-M-R II [package insert]. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck; 2002. 5. Harivax [package insert]. Research Triangle Park, NC: GlaxoSmithKline; 2005. 6. Vaqta [package insert]. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck; 2005. 7. Twinrix [package insert]. Research Triangle Park, NC: GlaxoSmithKline; 2005. 8. Imovax [package insert]. Swiftwater, PA: Aventis Pasteur; 1991.
