Q&A: Will anyone be able to get nasal or thermisol-free vaccine?

DR. GREG STERN - FOR THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

E-Mail

Print Reprint

Text Size:

tool goes here

Dr. Greg Stern has been the Whatcom County health officer since 1998. He and other Whatcom County Health Department professionals answer reader questions about flu and other public health concerns.

Question: Will all community members who prefer the nasal H1N1 vaccine (and qualify to receive it) or the single dose injectable form (thimerosal free) have access to it? That is, will the supply be enough that people can make choices? Also, will any of the vaccines in Whatcom County be imported?

Answer: Because of the need to vaccinate people as soon as possible and because it will take several more months until we receive enough vaccine to cover everyone, we will prioritize single-dose thimerosal-free injectable vaccine for children 6 to 36 months of age and for pregnant women.

We prefer that those between age 2 and 49 who are healthy use the nasal live vaccine so that we have more injectable vaccine available for those who cannot take the nasal vaccine.

People can choose to wait to see if their preferred vaccine is available for them, but they risk getting infected while waiting. The risk from disease far outweighs the risk from vaccine (including vaccine with thimerosal).

People at high risk of complications from influenza (and their caregivers and some household members) are being prioritized until enough vaccine is available for everyone who wants it. I am not certain if any of the vaccine is manufactured outside of the U.S., but all of the influenza vaccines used in the U.S. are licensed by the Food and Drug Administration and are made by growing the virus in eggs and without the use of adjuvants. Other countries have licensed vaccine grown in cell culture and vaccines that contain adjuvants, but they are not available in the U.S.

Q: If children receive the flu mist vaccine with the live virus in the morning, can they return to school that afternoon? Is it safe for them to interact with children with chronic health conditions, such as diabetes or asthma?

A: No need for children to stay away from school for any time after getting the live nasal spray vaccine. The live influenza virus vaccine (FluMist) is safe to give to people who are around other people with diabetes, asthma and other high-risk conditions.

The exception is for contacts with people with severe immune suppression. These are people, such as those with bone marrow transplants before their immune systems are restored, who are in protected environments (reverse isolation) and who would not be out in public.

Athough the vaccine virus is live, it is weakened and cold-adapted so it doesn't grow at normal or elevated core body temperature. It is designed to grow in the nose and to stimulate the body's immune response without causing disease. Health-care workers, who work with people with diabetes and asthma, can get the live vaccine without putting those patients at risk.

ABOUT SWINE FLU Q & A

To see more answers or ask a question, click here.