Merck Apologizes for Vaccine Shortages, Delays

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck & Co. Inc. has issued a letter apologizing to its customers for "recent vaccine supply interruptions" that have resulted in shortages and shipping delays involving some vaccines frequently administered by family physicians. Those vaccines are Merck's measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine, or MMRV, sold as ProQuad, and the adult and pediatric formulations of its hepatitis A vaccine, inactivated, sold as VAQTA.

Also affected -- although to a lesser degree -- is Merck's varicella-only vaccine, sold as VARIVAX.

The letter, (2-page PDF; About PDFs) which was mailed to the company's customers and posted on the CDC's Vaccines and Immunizations Web page, provides updated information on the status of these and related Merck vaccine products.

In the letter, Thomas Netzer, Merck's VP of marketing for pediatric vaccines, acknowledges the adverse effects of such shortages on physicians and their patients. "We realize how this impacts your ability to provide vaccine to your patients in a timely manner, and for that we are deeply sorry," he states.

AAFP President Rick Kellerman, M.D., of Wichita, Kan., recognized Merck's willingness to step up to the plate on the vaccine supply issue, at the same time praising the company's long-standing track record of manufacturing and promoting products to safeguard patients' health.

"We appreciate Merck taking responsibility for these delays, and we wish to work with them to improve timely vaccination of patients," said Kellerman. "Merck's development of immunizations during the past century has been a public health success story."

The letter from Merck comes on the heels of a meeting earlier this month that brought together representatives from Merck and the Academy. During that meeting, Kellerman and Academy staff members delivered a message to Merck officials about the challenges family physicians face when it comes to purchasing, storing and delivering vaccines.

"We were looking for ways to work together," Kellerman said of that meeting. "We tried to frame immunizations as part of the medical home and really push the concept that immunizations are tied to all preventive services -- whether for children or older patients -- as well as to care of patients with chronic disease.

"The medical home concept is important if we are going to get the health care system back on track, and providing immunizations to patients is part-and-parcel to the care provided by family physicians in the medical home," he added.

"Our members want to give immunizations in their offices, they want to make sure patients receive immunizations and they value the role of immunizations in health care," said Kellerman." But they are facing multiple barriers, such as vaccine cost, storage, administrative costs, paperwork and other issues. So we focused on how we can work together."