Hundreds of hospitals stocking outdated diphtheria-tetanus vaccine: report
The Immunisation Foundation of Australia found that 401 of 469 hospitals assessed were stocking large quantities of the outdated diphtheria and tetanus vaccine.
Hundreds of hospitals are using the marginally cheaper diphtheria and tetanus vaccine over the recommended dTpa vaccine, a new analysis suggests.
Across five states and the NT, 401 of 469 hospitals assessed were stocking large quantities of the outdated diphtheria and tetanus (dT) vaccine, according to the Immunisation Foundation of Australia (IFA).
The Australian Immunisation Handbook recommends that “adults who need a tetanus-containing vaccine … receive dTpa vaccine rather than dT vaccine”.
The IFA said that historically the dTpa vaccine had been notably more expensive, but nowadays the gap was only a few dollars per dose.
