The H1N1 Vaccine: Protection Against a Potentially Dangerous Illness
Created on 10/23/2009
With growing concern about the H1N1 flu pandemic having arrived, people have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the H1N1 flu vaccine; however, K sent in a question that many people have on their minds - "Is the H1N1 flu vaccine safe?"
It's a fair question, K, in large part because there are so many people out there trying to discredit vaccinations, and scaring people away from vaccinating not only ourselves but our children, too. I disagree with them.
The H1N1 flu vaccine is being made in the same way the annual seasonal flu vaccine is produced, and the seasonal flu vaccine has been shown safe for the vast majority of people.
Even so, you should know there is an amazing array of organizations and experts whose sole duty is to ensure the safety and effectiveness of vaccine therapy (ALL vaccines), and they watch everything very carefully, day in and day out. To learn more about vaccine safety issues look at the CDC's web site listed here - http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/updates/
Some have posed the question of safety in another way - "It's brand new, so shouldn't we wait until we have more experience with the vaccine?" In a perfect world perhaps, but we really don't have the luxury of waiting because H1N1 is a "novel" virus, meaning we've not seen it before and we're not completely sure what it's capable of doing to us. What has been seen, unfortunately, is that young people seem especially susceptible to the severe consequences of infection with H1N1, something very different than what's typically seen with the seasonal flu (where the elderly appear more at risk).
Want to learn more about the H1N1 flu vaccine? Visit the CDC web site that is completely devoted to it:
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/public/vaccination_qa_pub.htm
I know there are lots of questions about vaccines, K, and it's very important to ask questions about any medical intervention, including vaccine therapy. Good science needs to be applied and, to my mind, has been and continues to be used to address questions about vaccines, their effectiveness, and their safety. Attention then needs to be paid to the unique individual asking the question about whether they should receive a particular vaccine, and that's where your personal doctor comes in to play.
With respect to the H1N1 flu vaccine, questions to be asked include is the person young (under age 65 years can be considered a cutoff) and therefore at increased risk? Does the person have chronic lung (including asthma) or heart disease, or diabetes? Is the person over age 65 years and otherwise healthy?
The best way to determine whether you and your family should receive the H1N1 flu vaccine is to ask your doctor, but at present it looks to be the single best way we can avoid coming down with this potentially dangerous disease.
I hope this helps, K! Be well.
Dr. Russ
** Information on this web site is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. You should not use the information on this web site for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication or other treatment. **
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