DOBSON — The Surry County Health and Nutrition Center was notified yesterday that 800,000 doses of the H1N1 vaccine have been voluntarily recalled across the nation. But health officials want Surry citizens to know that there is no need to fear.

“We’ve already pulled it ... All is well,” said Thomas Williams, media relations specialist and preparedness coordinator for the health center.

Of the affected doses, 17,900 were distributed in North Carolina. Williams said the health department did not receive any of the lots of recalled vaccines, but a few private practices in the county did. These vaccines have already been pulled to be sent back to the manufacturer.

The recalled vaccines came from four lots of the pediatric H1N1 vaccine made by Sanofi Pasteur, Inc. These vaccines were administered to children ages 6 months to 3 years old.

“There are no safety concerns with these lots of H1N1 vaccine,” State Epidemiologist Megan Davies said. “The concern is that the recalled vaccine may not be strong enough to provide full immunity. However, children in this age group should have adequate protection because we already recommend that they receive two doses of the vaccine.”

Williams confirmed that children in Surry County that received the vaccine were encouraged to get two doses. He said the center is recommending that parents do not need to get their children vaccinated again.

“They should have good immunity,” Williams remarked.

He said it is highly unlikely that any children received both of their doses from the recalled batch.

The health department has been the gatekeeper for H1N1 vaccines coming into the county, so Williams said they were quickly able to track down the centers that had the recalled vaccine. He said they do not have the number of vaccines that have already been administered, but all remaining recalled doses have been taken out of circulation.

The vaccine is being voluntarily recalled because the manufacturer determined the antigen content, the component that causes immunity to a virus, is slightly below the specified range. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the vaccine in these lots still offers protection against H1N1 influenza. The CDC does not recommend doctors re-administer flu shots to those who received vaccine from these lots.

Williams said, “We’re here to ensure parents that all is safe.”

Health department officials are still encouraging everyone to receive both the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines. Williams said the health center is currently out of the seasonal vaccine, but it does have H1N1 doses available. The H1N1 vaccine is available for anyone over the age of 6 months. The center is no longer limiting it to the CDC’s target groups.

For more information on the recall, visit http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/syringes_qa.htm. The Surry County Health and Nutrition Center can be reached at 401-8400.