A production delay has caused Merck & Co. to temporarily stop accepting orders for the company's pediatric and adult vial formulations of Vaqta, the hepatitis A vaccine.
It is estimated that the pediatric formulation of Vaqta will be available in the early third quarter of 2008, while the adult formulation will be available in the fourth quarter of 2008.
In the meantime, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that the pediatric formulation and adult formulation of GlaxoSmithKline's hepatitis A vaccine Havrix, and its adult hepatitis A/hepatitis B combination vaccine (Twinrix), “are currently in good supply to meet demand.”
GlaxoSmithKline plans to increase production of both vaccines to help ensure uninterrupted supply for the United States market.
There has been no change in the routine recommendations for hepatitis A vaccinations, the CDC said.