Everything You Need To Know About the H1N1 Vaccine

H1N1 is a type of influenza virus. The H1N1 vaccine is a shot or FluMist that is given to prevent a person from catching the virus. This occurs because the vaccine contains a dead or weakened form of the virus, which triggers your immune system to build a defense against the virus.

The H1N1 vaccine can be given as a shot in the upper arm of an adult or in the thigh of a small child or infant. In non-pregnant, healthy people ages two to 49, it also can be given as a liquid mist that is squirted into the nostrils and then absorbed by the tissue inside the nose. This is called a "flu mist." Children under the age of 9 need two doses of the vaccine a month apart. For adults, one dose of the vaccine is sufficient.

It is safe for most healthy people to get the H1N1 vaccine. However, certain groups have been identified as being at a higher risk than the rest of the population for catching H1N1 or developing serious complications after being infected. These groups are highly encouraged to get the vaccine and include: health care workers, pregnant women, people caring for infants under the age of 6 months, infants between the ages of 6 months and 24 months of age, and individuals between the ages of 25 to 64 years of age, especially those with high-risk conditions.

People who are allergic to eggs, people who have had a previous reaction to an influenza vaccine, anyone who has developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within six weeks of receiving an influenza vaccination, children under the age of 6 months, and individuals who have a current infection with a cold virus, influenza virus or other similar illness (you should wait until you are no longer ill to have the vaccination). The flu mist vaccine is only recommended for healthy, non-pregnant people ages 2 to 39.

The most common side effect of the vaccine is pain and soreness at the site of the injection. There may also be mild bruising. Some individuals, especially children, may develop a low grade fever after receiving the H1N1 shot. Some individuals may feel achy after receiving the H1N1 shot. The virus in the FluMist is a live attenuated (weakened) virus. The possibility of becoming infected as a result of this vaccination is extremely rare but possible. In this case the individual would experience flu-like symptoms such as coughing, fever and sore throat.

Because the virus is dead, you cannot catch H1N1 by getting the H1N1 shot (inactivated H1N1 vaccine). Sometimes the vaccine can cause side effects similar to symptoms of H1N1. It is possible but extremely unlikely to catch H1N1 from the FluMist. If you catch the virus in its weakened form, your illness would likely be more mild than if you caught H1N1 from another source. Symptoms would likely include: nausea, headaches, vomiting, runny nose, sore throat, cough, muscle aches and fever lasting approximately 1 to 2 days. Certain individuals such as those with weakened immune systems should not receive the flu mist.

There has been a lot of controversy regarding the mercury-based preservative thimerosal in vaccinations and a link to autism. Though there has been no evidence proving that thimerosal causes autism, the U.S. government removed this preservative in almost all vaccines in 2001. The flu shot is one of the only vaccinations which still contains thimerosal. The H1N1 injectable vaccine contains thimerosal in the multi-dose vials only. Single-use vials do not contain this preservative.

As of November 2009, there is a shortage of the H1N1 vaccine. However, according to the CDC, more vaccine will be available soon. High-risk groups should be vaccinated first and then healthy individuals between the ages of 25 to 65. Adults older than 65 are believed to have some immunity to H1N1 likely obtained during an outbreak in the early 1950's.

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_{Centers For Disease Control. Key Facts About 2009 H1N1 Vaccine. Accessed: November 5, 2009 from http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/vaccine_keyfacts.htm}