Monday, August 17, 2009

SWINE FLU VACCINE



It is estimated that the swine flu vaccine won't be ready until sometime around September to November 2009. In addition to the time required to actually make a new vaccine, the likely need to make seasonal flu vaccine for next year may delay things a little.
Can the swine flu vaccine be combined with the seasonal flu vaccine? No, as vaccine companies will be done making seasonal flu vaccine before they can likely even get started on the swine flu vaccine.
Once the swine flu is ready, who will get it?
CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that swine flu vaccine should first go to:
• Pregnant women
• Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
• All children and young adults from 6 months through 24 years of age, and
• Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza
That will take up about 159 million doses of swine flu vaccine. If supplies of swine flu vaccine are limited, priority should go to:
• Pregnant women
• Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
• Children 6 months through 4 years of age, and
• Children 5 through 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions
Next, as swine flu vaccine improves to the point that all priority groups have gotten vaccinated, everyone from the ages of 25 through 64 years will get vaccinated too. Lastly, people 65 or older, who have the least risk from the swine flu will be offered the swine flu vaccine.
SOURCE:http://pediatrics.about.com/od/swineflu/a/409_vaccine.htm

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