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Condition on Arrival
- Should not have been frozen; refrigerate on arrival.
Storage
- Store vaccine at 2°C to 8°C (36°F
to 46°F); DO
NOT FREEZE since freezing destroys potency.
Handling
- Shake well before withdrawal and use. Thorough
agitation is necessary to maintain suspension of
the vaccine. Discard if the suspension does not appear
homogenous.
- The vaccine should be used as supplied; no reconstitution
is necessary.
- Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually
for extraneous particulate matter and discoloration
prior to administration whenever solution and container
permit. After thorough agitation, the vaccine is
a slightly opaque, white suspension.
General Tips
-
If you have questions about the condition of the
vaccine at the time of delivery, you should immediately
place vaccine
in recommended
storage; and call the Merck Vaccine Customer Center at 1-877-VAX-MERCK (1-877-829-6372), or call
the CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).
-
Rotate stock so that the shortest-dated
vaccine is used first. 1
-
Ensure that the refrigerator is plugged into
an outlet in a protected area where it cannot be
disconnected accidentally. 1
-
-
It is important to use a separate sterile syringe
and needle for each individual patient to prevent transmission
of infectious agents from one person
to another.
-
Needles should be disposed of properly and should
not be recapped. 2
-
All vaccines must be discarded after the expiration
date; expired or damaged Vaccines for Children (VFC)
vaccines must be returned to your State Immunization
Program.
-
For vaccines that are used as supplied, no reconstitution
is necessary. Click
here for a demonstration of proper handling when
reconstitution is not required.
-
For general questions concerning the proper storage
and handling of Merck vaccines, please contact the
Merck Vaccine Customer Center at 1-800-MERCK-90 (1-800-637-2590),
Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 7:00 pm ET.
-
VAQTA is indicated for active immunization against disease
caused by hepatitis A virus in persons 12 months of age
and older. Primary immunization should be given at least
2 weeks prior to expected exposure to hepatitis A virus.
Select safety information
- VAQTA is contraindicated in individuals
who are hypersensitive to any component of the vaccine.
Hepatitis A vaccine should not be administered to persons
with a history of a severe reaction to a prior dose
of hepatitis A vaccine or to a vaccine component.
- Individuals who develop symptoms suggestive of hypersensitivity
after an injection of hepatitis A vaccine should not
receive further injections of the vaccine.
- As with any vaccine, vaccination
with VAQTA may not result in a protective response
in all susceptible vaccinees.
- In combined clinical trials involving
healthy children 12 to 23 months of age and children
and adolescents 2 to 18 years of age, the most commonly
reported complaints (>2% of injections) in one or
both of these groups were localized injection-site
reactions (pain/tenderness/soreness, warmth, erythema,
swelling), fever, diarrhea, vomiting, irritability,
upper respiratory infection, rhinorrhea, cough, rash,
otitis media, and headache.
- The dosing regimen for VAQTA 0.5 mL (~25U) consists
of 2 doses, the first given at 12 months to 18 years
of age, and a booster dose given 6 to 18 months afterwards.
- Before administering VAQTA, please read the Prescribing
Information.
References: 1.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaccine management:
Recommendations for storage and handling selected biologicals.
In: Atkinson W, Wolfe C, eds. Epidemiology and Prevention
of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. 10th ed. Atlanta,
GA: Dept of Health and Human Services; 2006: Appendix
C. 2. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. National Immunization Program.
Vaccine storage and handling. Available at: http://www2a.cdc.gov/nip/isd/shtoolkit/splash.html.
Accessed November 9, 2006.
VAQTA is a registered trademark
of Merck & Co., Inc.
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