One Dose of Swine Flu Vaccine Works for Pregnant Women

Nov. 3 -- MONDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Results from ongoing clinical trials confirm that pregnant women need only one dose of the swine flu vaccine, while young children -- 6 months to 9 years of age -- need two doses, U.S. health officials said Monday.

These results are important because pregnant women and young children are especially at risk for complications from the H1N1 swine flu, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during a press conference.

"I am pleased to be able to share some good news. Nearly all the pregnant women who received a single 15-microgram dose had a robust immune response," said Fauci, adding that the one-dose regimen produced a robust immune response in 92 percent of the women.

"This should be reassuring news to those women who have already received vaccine, and it is vital information for those pregnant women who have not yet been vaccinated," he said.

Also, further results from a trial involving 583 healthy children confirmed that kids 6 months to 9 years of age need two 15-microgram shots of the H1N1 flu vaccine, Fauci said.

"There was a sharp increase to the immune response to the vaccine after they received a second dose," he said. The second dose was given about 21 days after the first.

Among children 6 months to 35 months old, 100 percent had a robust immune response eight to 10 days after the second dose of the vaccine, as did 94 percent of the children 3 years to 9 years of age, Fauci said.

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Earlier results from the trial had found that older children -- 10 to 17 years old -- needed only a single dose of the vaccine.

These are the same dose requirements that are recommended for the seasonal flu shot as well.

To date, the deaths of 114 children and 22 pregnant women have been positively linked to the swine flu, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Meanwhile, Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said Monday at the press conference that the shortage of H1N1 swine flu vaccine continues, because of variables with the egg-based production process.