Massachusetts health authorities, facing huge demands for vaccines to prevent meningitis, diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis, and chickenpox, have asked the state's pediatricians to limit use of the shots in older children under the state's free vaccine program.
Although state officials said that no child will go without needed vaccines, pediatricians in Massachusetts said the shortage, plus a state decision last year not to cover the quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (Gardasil), marks the end of the state's universal vaccination program, and is leading to additional red tape for them.
Previously, Massachusetts provided all childhood vaccinations for every child, ...