slight correction to the story that follows
http://www.miami.com/mld/miami/news/politics/3276541.htm

AP Corrects New Vaccine Story

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a May 15 story about a new
version of the vaccine against tetanus, diphtheria and
whooping cough, The Associated Press erroneously
reported that Aventis Pasteur was the sole supplier.
GlaxoSmithKline also makes a DTaP vaccine.
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http://www.nj.com/newsflash/washington/index.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.cgi?
a0770_BC_NewVaccine&&news&newsflash-washington

FDA approves new version of DTaP vaccine

The Associated Press
5/15/02 5:49 PM


WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government has approved the
sale of a new formulation of the vaccine that protects
children against tetanus, diphtheria and whooping
cough. The decision may ease serious shortages.

Both the new Daptacel and the old version of the
vaccine, Tripedia, are sold by the same company,
Aventis Pasteur.

Daptacel will be produced at Aventis Pasteur's
manufacturing facility in Canada. Tripedia is made in
Pennsylvania.

The added supply from the new version should boost the
nation's inventory of the DTaP vaccine, Aventis said.

"We are hopeful it will help to alleviate the
shortage," said FDA spokesman Jason Brodsky.

Doctors began rationing tetanus shots more than a year
ago, when two makers of the vaccines suddenly quit the
business. That left Aventis Pasteur the sole supplier,
and it had struggled to increase production to meet
the demand.

The FDA said both Daptacel and Tripedia have been
shown in clinical trials to be safe and effective, but
are slightly different formulations that have not been
directly compared.

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