Millions of H1N1 Vaccine Doses Ready to Go First Week of October
EmailABC News’ Yunji de Nies reports: Six to seven million doses of the H1N1 vaccine will be available starting the first week of October, and that vaccine should be effective against the virus within eight days. That’s the word from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the CDC’s Dr. Anne Schuchat, who spoke to reporters at the White House today. Initial doses will be in spray form, safe for adults and children two years and older, but pregnant women will have to wait for the injection version. Sebelius said if all goes according to plan, 40 million doses – a mix of spray and shots — will be available by the middle of the month, and 10 to 20 million more each week, eventually reaching a total of 250 million. Sebelius said there will be plenty of vaccines available to all who need it. The challenge is convincing people to take it. “This is serious. People will die, and the people who are going to be ill and die are much more likely to be children and young adults, not frail and elderly,” she said. “Taking a risk, getting sick is not probably a wise roll of the dice. The vaccine, particularly for the target population, is probably the best defense against it.” That target population includes children, young adults and pregnant women. Pregnant women make up just 1 percent of the U.S. population, but account for at least 6 percent of H1N1 hospitalizations and deaths. Dr. Schuchat said millions of Americans have likely been infected with H1N1 but because most have no way of knowing if they have the H1N1 versus or a different strain, the government is suggesting that even those who have had any flu in recent weeks get the vaccine. She said that since April, at least 56 children have died from H1N1 in the U.S. Most had other existing health issues which made them more vulnerable to the disease. H1N1 is particularly aggressive in children – 15 percent of those hospitalized with the virus have ended up in intensive care. Sebelius and Dr. Schuchat said the vaccine is safe, created through the same process as the seasonal flu vaccine. About 100 million people receive an annual flu shot and the government is recommending that people get both shots. The federal government is leaving vaccine distribution up to the states. Where a person can get it will depend on where the state has determined it can reach the most people. We could see distribution in traditional venues like clinics, hospitals, even schools, and other centers like shopping malls, big box stores and churches. The Southeastern United States is experiencing the highest level of infection. Dr. Schuchat said this could be for one of two reasons: first because school started earlier in many of those states and second, because those areas did not see as many cases earlier in the spring, so this could be their “first wave.” Overall, most people who get the virus are fine after a few days with traditional flu remedies: fluids and rest. Secretary Sebelius said there are a lot of myths about the virus, vaccine and treatment that they are working to dispel. “We are continuing to see, at least anecdotally, a lot of misuse of anti-virals. A lot of people thinking, ‘I’ll take Tami-Flu and that will prevent me from getting the flu,’” she said. Not only does that not work, it also has the potential to lower the efficacy of anti-viral drugs. The secretary said there is no need to test for H1N1 if symptoms are mild, in fact they are discouraging doctors from testing for H1N1 in all but the most serious cases, and instead simply treating patients because as she put it, “the flu is, the flu is, the flu, no need to be tested for the flu just stay home, wash your hands, cough into your sleeve.” — Yunji de Nies
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It’s good to know that we’re ready for a strain of influenza that by and large is no more deadly or contagious than the typical strains we see crop up each year. People die every year of the flu, that’s not to trivialize the thousands who die in the U.S. BUT the newsworthiness of this story is suspect. I guess if you brand a flu strain with a scary name, you can make it sound more ominous and thereby sell more airtime.
Posted by: Q | September 24, 2009, 3:31 pm 3:31 pm
Q | Sep 24, 2009 3:31:56 PM
Acutally, it is statistically LESS deadly than the average seasonal flu… by a factor of something like 7, if I remember rightly.
Posted by: Kurosekiryu | September 24, 2009, 3:33 pm 3:33 pm
“Acutally, it is statistically LESS deadly than the average seasonal flu… ”
Given the limited data, I was trying to be kind, but…yeah, it’s just the flu.
Posted by: Q | September 24, 2009, 3:49 pm 3:49 pm
don’t worry if these vaccines aren’t effective or even harm you. Big Pharma, besides making untold $$$’s from the vaccines, is now protected legally from any liability if their drugs do harm. Sebelius said the manufacturers are legally protected from any liability there drug might cause due to the “emergency”…..so let’s trust Big Pharma who is rushing through a vaccine to get first to market and knows that they have no liability if it hurts people or just plain doesn’t work!
So Obama is against any sensible tort protection against normal doctors, nurses, charities, and hospitals but for complete legal protection for BigPharma!?!
Posted by: Ed | September 24, 2009, 4:59 pm 4:59 pm
the world is getting crazy by the day more sickness every year i hope things will just get better 4 us all
Posted by: unknown | September 24, 2009, 5:34 pm 5:34 pm
For those of us over 65, but not in the 85-up range who were exposed to the 1918 flu or a close enough variant, the inability to get the new flu vaccine until everyone else has got theirs is dangerous and discriminatory. I’ve seen the May serology study reports in CDC’s MMWR of July 30 and the later study in the NEJM of Sep 10; these show only 33 percent or so of seniors seem to show immunity; what of the others? There is agism involved when “only” 36 percent immunity in kids means they need a second injection of vaccine but 33 percent immunity in over-65s means they don’t need the vaccine.
Posted by: Polly | September 24, 2009, 5:58 pm 5:58 pm
correction to my previous post–”36 percent immunity in young children after receiving one dose of swine flu vaccine” is the meaning here.
Posted by: Polly | September 24, 2009, 6:00 pm 6:00 pm
Polly, since the virus seems to cause death among children and young adults at a much greater rate than the elderly, it makes sense to protect them first, as well as anyone with a compromised immune system or chronic health problem.
Obviously us older folks must have had a similar flu in the past so our body will do a better job of fighting the virus quicker. It’s not about having immunity to the virus, it is how quickly and well your body can mount a defense when you catch it. From the death rates, the older people can fight it better.
Posted by: Lydia | September 24, 2009, 6:13 pm 6:13 pm
Health care workers will get the first batch followed by children and pregnant women.
Posted by: Sarah | September 24, 2009, 6:46 pm 6:46 pm
so the elderly are not at risk. Last week or so they changed their minds and say the young and old are at the most risk so what is it?
Posted by: james | September 24, 2009, 8:52 pm 8:52 pm
I think that the confusion about “the elderly” boils down to this– People beyond a certain age (including elderly) probably have been exposed to somewhat similar viruses in their pasts and, therefore, have some immunity. But, as we all know, the elderly tend to have developed some other health concerns, too, so for those in the higher risks groups, those “elderly” probably should get vaccinated soon. This strain of flu seems to strike those that seem healthiest, since they are too young to have built up any immunity to this strain.
Posted by: Debbie | September 24, 2009, 10:00 pm 10:00 pm
I thought the swine flu pandemic is dying down. New cases haven’t been reported in quite a long time. Why the sudden rush for vaccines when the threat seems to be over?
Posted by: Lender | September 25, 2009, 5:40 am 5:40 am
Why are encouraging doctors not to test for H1N1 in mild cases and only in more severe cases. That will falsely give the impression that the disease is more deadly than it alredy is. I don’t recommend the shot because it has an unapproved adjuvant called MF-59, that has never been approved for use in flu shots in the U.S. This substance can increase the chance of having an auto-immune reaction
Posted by: Roj | September 25, 2009, 4:36 pm 4:36 pm
The importance of effective hygiene methods cannot be emphasized enough, especially with our young children (regardless of the status of the vaccine). My child came home from school the other day saying that they learned to cough and sneeze into their elbow with Germy Wormie, and I was totally taken aback. I always covered with my hands. But I went to the website and now I get it, hands touch, elbows don’t!! Kids can touch 300 surfaces in 1/2 hour and they hate to wash their hands. This is a simple thing that can make a huge difference.
Posted by: Maggie | September 25, 2009, 5:12 pm 5:12 pm
“The challenge is convincing people to take it.”********************
This is very true. This vaccine has not been fully tested and its safety by no means has been established. I suggest that Barak Obama and all the idiots who opposed closing the US-Mexico border at the very beginning to allow the H1N1 virus to spread all across the country should be the very first ones to take this vaccine and they should be the first ones to die if there is any side effect arsing from this vaccine. Just give the vaccine to them now. Don’t wait until October.
Posted by: DelegateMath | September 26, 2009, 1:33 am 1:33 am
“Health care workers will get the first batch followed by children and pregnant women.”
This comment is a bit misleading IMHO. If you read the article is clearly states that the first set of doses – a nasal spray – is not suitable for pregnant women.
“Initial doses will be in spray form, safe for adults and children two years and older, but pregnant women will have to wait for the injection version.”
Why?
“nasal-spray flu vaccine (sometimes called LAIV for “live attenuated influenza vaccine”)—is not currently approved for use in pregnant women. This vaccine is made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu). LAIV (FluMist®) is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant.”
peter
Posted by: peter | September 27, 2009, 7:58 pm 7:58 pm
I’m not buying that the sky if falling but it couldn’t hurt to be protected either. Granted I don’t know the potential side effects of the H1N1 vaccine but it’s a gamble I am willing to take to preserve my children. They are worth it!
Posted by: Cheekin Little | September 28, 2009, 1:28 pm 1:28 pm
My daughter has Lupus which is an autoimmune disease and is 18. She has been told she needs to have protection and is on a top priority list at her college but can’t take a live flu vaccine(no nasal vaccine for seasonal flu as it is live). She has had the seasonal flu vaccine today. I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a risk involved with the nasal H1H1 vaccine in relation to waiting and getting the shot? How do these vaccines affect a young population with autoimmune disease?
Posted by: Fiona | September 30, 2009, 10:07 am 10:07 am
Roj your US vaccine does not contain MF59 in fact there is no adjuvant in the injectable vaccine which was a wise choice. Unfortunately here in Canada we will have an untested adjuvant AS03 which will likely lead to low uptake by the population not to mention there will be no vaccine here until mid-November.
Posted by: John McCain | October 1, 2009, 3:07 am 3:07 am