Governments around the world are offering the swine flu vaccine after the discovery of the new virus in the spring of 2009. Many people want to know more about this new H1N1 flu vaccine that is being offered, for themselves and for their family. Here is the latest information provided on the vaccines that are being offered in the United States.
How Many Doses of Swine Flu Vaccine are Needed For Adults?
Adults will only need one dose of the vaccine to boost their immunity against the H1N1 influenza.
How Many Doses of the H1N1 Flu Vaccine Do Kids Need?
Based on studies done so far, children ages six months of age to nine years old are recommended to have two doses of the H1N1 vaccine. The time span should be about a month apart for each injection. Children who are 10 years of age and older only need to have one dose of the swine flu vaccine. More studies are expected to confirm the best number of doses for kids.
Is There a Preservative in the Swine Flu Vaccine?
Just like the seasonal flu vaccine in the US, there will be vaccines for the H1N1 flu that are preservative free. There are also ones that contain a mercury-based preservative called thimerosal.
Is Thimerosal Safe in Vaccines?
The US Food and Drug Administration acknowledges that some people have concerns about thimerosal in vaccines. The FDA points out that most research in the US and internationally does not support the existence of a link between thimerosal in vaccines and autism.
Do the Approved H1N1 Flu Vaccines in the US Contain an Adjuvant?
In the US, the vaccines that are offered do not contain any adjuvants. (An adjuvant is a drug that is mixed with another drug in order to improve its effectiveness medicinally).
What is in the H1N1 Flu Vaccines?
Both the shot and the nasal spray vaccines include the H1N1 virus. In the injection form it is a virus that has been “killed” and in the spray it is a weakened living virus. A number of ingredients are used to create the vaccines, including agents that inactivate the viruses, preservatives to protect against bacteria and stabilizers that keep the vaccine from changing.
Multi-dose vials of the vaccine contain a preservative to prevent bacterial contamination.
The swine flu vaccines are all derived from the same strain of the flu virus which is an A/California/7/09-like virus. Patients with any allergies should speak to their doctor about getting the vaccine in case there is an ingredient in the vaccine that they could react to. For example, people with a serious allergy to chicken eggs should not be vaccinated.
It’s also wise for anyone with concerns or questions about this swine flu vaccine to speak with a health professional about his or hers health and medical history.
How Safe are the Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Vaccines?
The FDA says the swine flu vaccines have under gone similar production process and testing procedures that occur with the manufacturing of the seasonal flu vaccine. Seasonal flu vaccines have been given to millions of people each year and the FDA says the flu vaccines have a well-established safety record. Government bodies will also be monitoring the immunization process for both the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu.
For more information check out Swine Flu Facts, Swine Flu Vaccine in the US and Who Should Get the H1N1 Vaccine?
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The H1N1 Inactivated Vaccine,Oct. 2, 2009.
US Food and Drug Administration, Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccines Questions and Answers, Oct. 15, 2009.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
