Who's Calling the Shots? Pediatricians' Adherence to the 2001–2003 Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine–Shortage Recommendations

Abstract
Background. A national shortage of heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) occurred from September 2001 through May 2003. In December 2001 and January 2002, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued PCV7-shortage recommendations, emphasizing that all health care providers decrease the number of doses for healthy children so that more children could receive some PCV7.