The Alaska Public Health News Network has announced a shortage of Tubersol, the Tuberculin Purified Protein Derivate for skin-testing.

They announced that the State of Alaska is unable to secure more Tubersol until May at the earliest. Until the shortage is resolved testing is to be done only on high-risk groups. The AlaskaDepartment of Health and Social Services says that another product, Aplisol is available, but only in limited quantity.

It is recommended that testing be restricted due to the shortage, those recommendations include:

• Contacts to an active TB case
• Immunocompromised persons
• HIV positive persons
• Defer annual screening of employees
• Providers may consider substituting interferon gamma release assays (IGRA) blood test for TSTs during the ongoing shortage. Testing is available at private reference laboratories in a number of Alaskan communities. The Alaska TB Program does not provide or pay for IGRA testign.
• Notify SOE if you have Tubersol or Aplisol in stock which you will not be able to use iin the next 2 months. SOE is attemptingto build and maintain a stock of PPD testing products for use in high priority situations.