The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends five groups of people who are at greatest risk for complications from the H1N1 virus and who should be the first to get the new vaccine. Those priority groups include pregnant women, children six months to 24 years old, healthcare providers and EMS workers, parents, household members or caregivers of children under 6 months, and those under age 65 with underlying medical conditions. People over age 65 are not considered as vulnerable to H1N1 complications.
The PA Department of Health designates the initial doses of vaccine primarily to healthy school children between the ages of 5-9 years. College students on campuses where disease oubreaks have occurred or are ongoing also will get the first doses. South-central Pennsylvania could be among the last areas of the state to get the vaccine. The West Shore School District reports an outbreak this week of swine flu at one of its middle schools and many local school officials grapple with whether to offer mass immunizations. We’ll offer a panel of doctors and health professionals Friday night at 8:30 to answer your questions about the swine flu, the new vaccine and how to combat infection. To submit a question, please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
The H1N1 virus spreads from person to person contact through coughing, sneezing and touching objects contaminated with the virus. Fear of contracting swine flu has prompted friends, religious institutions and schools to change the way they interact. Symptoms include headache, muscle aches, fever, fatigue, chills, coughing, sore throat, sneezing, vomiting and even diarrhea. Most people feel well in about a week but others can develop serious, life-threatening complications like pneumonia and require hospitalization. And some patients die. The CDC does not maintain a complete list but news media reports peg the swine flu in the U.S. of causing more than 600 deaths and 9,000 hospitalizations since it arrived in April. The CDC says 28 pregnant women and 60 children have died from swine flu-related complications. Many of us have had seasonal flu viruses and so our bodies have built up some immunity. However, the H1N1 virus is a new strain and, therefore, we are more susceptible to acquiring the infection and the effects can be severe.
There are two versions of the H1N1 vaccine that manufacturers have moved to the market in record time and shortages already are causing procedural headaches for healthcare providers. They are made like the seasonal flu vaccines and the CDC and FDA expect them to be safe and effective. The government plans to track swine flu vaccine side effects. The World Health Organization reports only mild side effects from vaccinations administered in China earlier this year. One version is a live attenuated (weakened) intranasal vaccine (LAIV) that is sprayed into the nose. This vaccine known by the brand name FluMist has arrived in Pennsylvania. It does not contain thimerosal or other preservatives and is licensed for healthy people ages 2 - 49. Children through 9 years of age will need two doses of the vaccine taken three weeks apart. Pregnant women, people with asthma, and those with severe egg allergies or other serious underlying medical problems should not get the LAIV.
A second version is an inactivated vaccine that is injected into the muscle just like the seasonal flu shot. Pregnant women, children with asthma and others with serious underlying health issues or egg allergies are advised to wait for this vaccine to arrive here, possibly by next week. Health officials recommend that pregnant women get the vaccine and children through age 9 will need to get two of these flu shots. Adults need just one dose. Here’s where some of the controversy comes in. According to the CDC, some of the inactivated vaccines contain the preservative thimerosal and some people believe there is a link between thimerosal and autism and question, in general, the efficacy and necessity of flu vaccinations. The CDC fact sheet on swine flu vaccine says a 2004 study conducted by the Institute of Medicine regarding a connection between the preservative thimerosal and autism found no link.
However, in 1976, the CDC reports that vaccination with the swine flu vaccine was associated with getting Guillain-Barre Syndrome. GBS is a disease in which the body attacks its own nerve cells and can result in paralysis. Patients usually recover but some patients have lasting nerve damage and 5-6% of those who develop GBS die.
The Food and Drug Administration approves batches of vaccine before they're released. Nearly 100 million Americans each year receive the regular flu vaccine with only minor side effects. The CDC insists “no corners have been cut” in rushing this new vaccine to the market. The vaccine is free – the government used tax dollars to pay for it -- but some providers might charge a fee to administer the treatment.
As more quantities of the vaccine become available the state Department of Health intends to hold public vaccinations and will publish the locations, dates and times on their special website www.h1n1inpa.com. The DOH expects additional vaccine to be available for those not in the recommended groups by early November and a total of 2.5 million doses to come to our state. You can check with your healthcare provider or school about flu shot availability. If they are not providing immunizations, call the DOH's hotline at 1-877- PA-Health for more information about how to receive the vaccine.
