If your a bit confused about the H1N1 vaccine recommendations, you are in good company! They are a bit confusing because this year’s flu season is a bit confusing. To add insult to injury, the recommendations for H1N1 are just similar and dissimilar enough from “seasonal flu”, Influenza A&B, that sorting it out can make your head spin and your tongue get tied.
Kim Carrigan and I attempted to clear the air about this challenging topic recently on Fox News Boston…as you’ll see, I even got tripped up once, so don’t feel badly if you’re a bit confused!
Stay tuned! This is one story which is most certainly just beginning.
(Yes, I know I’m posting during Turn-Off Week but important breaking news has to get posted, even if you read it next week…which I hope is what you do. But, if you do need information this week, I want you to have it.)
Thanks for posting the video, Dr. Gwenn. One quick question: is it true that children who have had the seasonal flu shot in the past only require one shot of seasonal flu vaccine this year (while still needing two of the H1N1 vaccine). Thanks in advance.
Hi Lisa:
Great question. Your child's age guides the amount of flu shots for both vaccines, seasonal flu and H1N1.
For the seasonal flu, for kids under 9, 2 shots are only needed for the first year a child receives the flu shot…after that 1 shot is all they need.
We still do not know what the recommendations will be for the kids under 10 for the H1N1 vaccine for the second year, if 2 doses will be needed or if those kids will also be able to drop back to 1 shot each year, so stay tuned.
I know this is confusing. Keep asking questions!
Dr. G
Dr. Gwenn,
I recently came across your blog and have enjoyed the parts I've perused. (I really love medical blogs.)
I decided to share your blog with my readers and have featured you in today's Daily Blog Review.
Thanks for blogging!
Lisa @
All That and a Box of Rocks
http://www.lisaschaffer.blogspot.com
In the 70s, we had a similar problem and experienced a large increase in number of Gullian-Barre syndrome (sp?)
I'm just worried that this new vaccine will have a similar problem we won't notice until millions have been vaccinated.