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A national shortage of Tubersol and
limited availability of Aplisol, solutions needed for TB skin tests, have made
it difficult for California school systems to comply with a state law that
required all school employees and classroom volunteers to have TB tests before
school started. Manufacturers expected supplies of Tubersol and Aplisol to
arrive by mid-October, after the state deadline for TB testing of school
employees and volunteers.
Peggy Marshburn, spokesperson for
the Contra Costa Office of Education, noted that employees and volunteers could
opt for a TB blood test, which could be more costly and inconvenient. Marshburn
learned of the shortages from West Contra Costa Unified School District earlier
in the week. The Contra Costa Office of Education requested that the California
Department of Education delay the deadline.
Erika Jenssen, communicable disease
programs chief for the Public Health Division of Contra Costa Health Services,
and Erica Pan, director of the Division of Communicable Disease Control and
Prevention in the Alameda County Public Health Department, reported they had
alerted schools and medical facilities about the shortage. Pan and Jenssen
recommended that medical facilities prioritize skin tests and use blood tests
when possible.
Tubersol and Aplisol shortages are
thought to be due to manufacturers producing an insufficient supply of the
solutions.
