Vaccinations
The best way to prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated against the circulating strains of influenza. Each year the flu shot is specifically designed to cover the circulating seasonal strains. About two weeks after vaccination, antibodies develop that protect against influenza virus infection. The federal government is developing a vaccine for the H1N1 flu. Flu vaccines will not protect against flu-like illnesses caused by non-influenza viruses.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the flu vaccine be available?
The seasonal flu vaccine will be available in September 2009. It is important to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The H1N1 flu vaccine is expected to be available later this fall. Initially, this new vaccine will be targeted to health care workers and high-risk populations, such as pregnant women and children.
Is the flu vaccine only available as a shot?
No. There are two kinds of seasonal flu vaccines. One is given as a shot and contains killed influenza virus. The other is given as a nasal spray. The nasal spray is called FluMist®. Only certain people can get FluMist because it is a live attenuated or weakened virus. Health care workers typically get the flu shot, which contains killed virus.
Can I get the flu from the flu vaccine?
No, nobody ever gets the flu from the killed virus in the flu vaccine. The nasal-spray flu vaccine is made with live, weakened flu viruses and also does not cause the flu in healthy people from two to 49 years of age who are not pregnant.
If I get vaccinated, can I transmit flu to someone else?
No. Getting the flu shot does not pose any risk to those around you, and may actually help decrease the risk to others around you by preventing you from transmitting the flu later. The nasal spray vaccine contains a live attenuated virus. Transmission of vaccine viruses to close contacts has occurred rarely (0.6% to 2.4%). Because the virus is weakened, infection is unlikely to result in influenza illness symptoms in healthy people. Therefore, people with severely weakened immune systems (for example, people with bone marrow or organ transplants) and those who are in contact with them, should not get FluMist. People who have contact with others with lesser degrees of immunosuppression (for example, people with diabetes, people with asthma taking corticosteroids, or people infected with HIV) can get FluMist.
Are there side effects of the seasonal flu vaccine?
One may get mild pain at the injection site, may get a mild and short-lived fever (24 to 48 hours) and also may feel fatigued for approximately 24 hours. However, you cannot get an influenza infection from the killed influenza vaccine.
Who should get vaccinated against regular seasonal flu?
In general, everyone who wants to reduce their chances of getting the flu should get vaccinated. However, certain people should get vaccinated each year either because they are at high risk of having serious flu-related complications or because they live with or care for high-risk persons. During flu seasons when vaccine supplies are limited or delayed, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) makes recommendations regarding priority groups for vaccination.
People who should get vaccinated against seasonal flu each year:
- children ages six months up to their 19th birthday
- pregnant women
- people 50 years and older
- people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
- people who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
- people who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
- health care workers
- household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
- household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of children less than six months of age (These children are too young to be vaccinated.)
Will the seasonal influenza vaccine also protect me against H1N1?
No, the seasonal influenza vaccine will only offer protection against the more typical strains of influenza.
Are there plans for developing a novel H1N1 “swine flu” vaccine?
Vaccines are the most powerful public health tool for control of influenza, and the U.S. government is working closely with manufacturers to manufacture a novel H1N1 vaccine. Working together with scientists in the public and private sector, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has isolated the new H1N1 virus and modified the virus so that it can be used to make hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine. Vaccine manufacturers are now using these materials to begin vaccine production. Making vaccine is a multi-step process that takes several months to complete.
When is it expected that the novel H1N1 “swine flu” vaccine will be available?
The novel H1N1 vaccine is expected to be available in the later part of the fall. More specific dates cannot be provided at this time as vaccine availability depends on several factors, including manufacturing time and time needed to conduct clinical trials.
Are there side effects of the H1N1 flu vaccine?
As with seasonal influenza, one may get mild pain at the injection site, may get a mild and short-lived fever (24 to 48 hours) and also may feel fatigued for approximately 24 hours. Historically there was concern of a more serious side effect called Guillian-Barré syndrome (GBS). This is a neurologic condition that can cause progressive paralysis in those who have the syndrome. It was suggested that people may have been slightly more likely to get GBS after they had received the swine flu vaccine in 1976. It is currently unclear if this past swine flu vaccine actually caused a higher than normal rate of GBS after vaccination. It is also important to remember that one of the most frequent causes of GBS is viral infection itself (including flu), so getting the flu vaccine may actually protect people from getting GBS because they are less likely to get the actual infection after they have received the vaccine.
Has anyone ever been vaccinated against swine flu?
Yes, in 1976 there was a swine flu outbreak at Fort Dix in New Jersey. Many Americans were vaccinated at that time.
If I was vaccinated against swine flu in 1976, am I protected?
Older adults might have some pre-existing immunity to H1N1 (swine) flu, according to the CDC. Lab tests showed that some adults, particularly those older than 60, had antibodies against the new strain, but the CDC cautioned that it is not known what this will mean in terms of actual immunity or clinical protection.
Can the seasonal vaccine and the novel H1N1 vaccine be given at the same time?
The seasonal flu and novel H1N1 vaccines could be administered on the same day (although a formal recommendation about this issue awaits information from ongoing clinical trials). However, we expect the seasonal vaccine will be available earlier than the H1N1 vaccine. The usual seasonal influenza viruses are still expected to cause illness this fall and winter. Individuals are encouraged to get their seasonal flu vaccine as soon as it is available.
If I am pregnant, should I receive both flu vaccines?
Yes. Pregnant women are a high-risk group for complications from all flu strains, and thus should get both flu vaccines. The flu vaccine is safe during pregnancy and also offers protection to newborns for the first six months of life (this is important because newborns are not candidates to receive the flu vaccine even though they are at a higher risk of complications from flu). So if the mom gets the flu vaccine, she is not only protecting herself but also her newborn child.
Will vaccination against the new H1N1 influenza be mandatory?
No. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which provides advice and guidance on the control of vaccine-preventable diseases, will make recommendations for who should receive H1N1 vaccine, and state and local health departments and institutions will determine how to implement these recommendations. If the vaccine is recommended for use, those who choose vaccination for themselves or their children will be screened for contraindications to vaccination (such as an allergy to eggs ) and will receive information sheets describing the vaccine’s risks and benefits, possible adverse events associated with vaccination, and how to report these events.
Who will be recommended as priority groups to receive the novel H1N1 vaccine?
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that certain groups of the population receive the novel H1N1 vaccine when it first becomes available. These key populations include:
- pregnant women
- people who live with or care for children younger than six months of age
- health care and emergency medical services personnel
- people between the ages of six months and 24 years old
- people ages 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for novel H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems
Who should not receive either of the influenza vaccines?
Some people should not be vaccinated without first consulting a physician. They include:
- people who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs
- people who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination in the past
- people who developed Guillian-Barré syndrome (GBS) within six weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously
- children less than six months of age (Influenza vaccine is not approved for use in this age group)
- people who have a moderate or severe illness with a fever should wait to get vaccinated until their symptoms lessen
Where can I get the flu vaccine(s)?
Seasonal influenza vaccine will likely be available in a combination of settings such as vaccination clinics organized by local health departments, health care provider offices, schools, and other private settings, such as pharmacies and workplaces. H1N1 vaccine will be distributed to every state and each state’s Department of Health will develop a vaccine delivery plan. Once H1N1 vaccine is distributed throughout Pennsylvania, local plans can be made for distribution that will likely parallel seasonal flu vaccine plans.