The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning today about a possible fracture risk associated with the use of the Vet Jet transdermal vaccination device. The Vet Jet is sold by Duluth, Ga.-based Merial as the exclusive delivery system for the company’s Purevax Recombinant Feline Leukemia Vaccine and is manufactured by Bioject Inc. of Tualatin, Ore. The FDA was made aware of three “adverse event reports” involving the use of the Vet Jet on kittens, the administration said. In each of two of those cases, the user may have failed to properly lock the device’s nozzle into place before using it, causing the nozzle to dislodge and fracture the femur of the kitten being vaccinated. Update: Merial spokeswoman Natasha Mahanes said the company is investigating the cases, revising the device's instructions and sending letters to all Vet Jet users advising them to follow the proper nozzle locking procedure. <HOME>
