H1N1 Vaccines

A vaccine or vaccination protects you from diseases that can make you sick, disabled, or even kill. Sometimes called immunizations or shots, vaccines create an immunity that allows your body to fight the disease.

What is a vaccine?

Most vaccines contain a little bit of a particular germ that is weakened or dead. Having this inside your body helps your body's defense (or immune) system build antibodies to fight off this kind of germ in the future.

Your body can make antibodies in two ways: by getting the disease or by getting the vaccine. Getting the vaccine is a much safer way to make antibodies without having the suffering of the disease itself and the risk of becoming disabled or even dying. Antibodies stay with you for a long time. They remember how to fight off the germ. If the real germ that causes the disease (not the vaccine) enters your body in the future, your immune system will now be able to fight it off.

Often, your defense system will remember how to fight a germ for the rest of your life. Sometimes, it needs a booster shot to remind it how to fight off the germ. Vaccines are given as shots (by needle), by mouth, or with a spray.

H1N1 vaccines

An H1N1 vaccine has recently been developed, and is expected to be available in anticipation of the Flu Season. Check with your medical provider to ascertain current vaccine availability. It is expected the vaccine will be available beginning in October 2009; it will be administered to the most at-risk groups first, before the vaccine becomes widely available.

As of Sept. 16, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved four H1N1 Vaccines. Initial studies show that most healthy adults have the desired immune response after only one dose. The FDA is still working on appropriate dosing information for children and the elderly; your physician will have the most up-to-date information available at the time you receive your vaccine.

How can I get the H1N1 vaccine?
You will need to get two vaccines this flu season – the seasonal vaccine (which you may know as the “flu shot”) and the new H1N1 vaccine. The seasonal flu shot is available now, while the H1N1 vaccine will be available in the Fall of 2009. Contact your doctor’s office for an appointment.

The vaccine is neither a treatment nor a cure for H1N1. But as with other vaccines, it is your best chance to avoid contracting this dangerous flu. Vaccinating a large population also significantly reduces the risk for people at large.

H1N1 Vaccine Priority Groups

When the H1N1 Vaccine is made available, the following groups will have priority access:

Pregnant women – Higher risk of complications from contracting the flu; can potentially transfer immunity protection to baby as well as small infants who cannot be vaccinated.
Caregivers of children under 6 months of age – Children under 6 months of age cannot receive the H1N1 vaccine due to risk and complications. Vaccinating caregivers and household contacts of very young infants will help reduce their risk of contracting the flu.
Healthcare and Emergency Medical Personnel – Healthcare workers were among the first patients identified with H1N1 infection. Vaccinating these workers reduces the risk for vulnerable patients under their care, as well as reduces absenteeism due to illness so as not to reduce healthcare system capacity.
All persons 6 months to 24 years of age – there have been many cases of H1N1 reported among these age groups. Their close contact within day care, secondary-, and higher-education settings increases the likelihood of the flu being spread.

Availability

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the 2009 H1N1 vaccine is expected to be available in the fall. More specific dates cannot be provided at this time as vaccine availability depends on several factors, including manufacturing and clinical trials. As soon as the H1N1 vaccine is available, we will post it here.

However, with multiple pharmaceutical firms developing the injectable H1N1 vaccine, and another developing a nasal spray vaccine, vaccine shortages are not anticipated.