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County Health Dept. Distributing 3 Types of New H1N1 Flu Vaccine

The Saint Louis County Department of Health has been receiving three different versions of the new H1N1 flu vaccine – each one designed for a specific use.  The health department will be distributing the vaccine according to the guidelines established for each of the three versions.

“There are three main types of H1N1 flu vaccine and each type is not right for everyone,” said Dr. Dolores J. Gunn, Director of the Saint Louis County Department of Health.  “Having said that, it is important to remember that there will eventually be enough vaccine for everyone who wants to be vaccinated against the H1N1 flu.”

The three main types are: 1) the regular injectable H1N1 flu vaccine; 2) the preservative-free injectable H1N1 flu vaccine; and 3) the intranasal FluMist®.

The most common form of the vaccine – the regular injectable H1N1 flu vaccine – will be used to vaccinate those who are three (3) years of age or older, unless they are pregnant or have an allergy to one of the components of the vaccine (such as eggs).

The preservative-free injectable H1N1 flu vaccine will be used to vaccinate pregnant women and children between the ages of six (6) months and three (3) years of age (again, unless they have an allergy to one of the components of the vaccine).  Current Missouri law prohibits giving vaccine with preservative in it to pregnant women or children under the age of three.

The third kind is the intranasal FluMist® that is sprayed directly into the nose.  It will only be used to vaccinate people from two (2) years of age through 49 years of age, unless they are pregnant, have an underlying health condition such as asthma or diabetes, or are allergic to one of the components of the FluMist® vaccine.

The two injectable forms of the vaccine contain a dead version of the H1N1 virus, whereas the intranasal FluMist® contains a small amount of weakened live virus.  All flu vaccine currently available in the United States has been manufactured using eggs and is not recommended for those who have an allergy to eggs.

The health department has received 32,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine as of Oct. 22:  13,500 regular injectable doses; 3,000 preservative-free injectable doses; and 15,500 doses of intranasal FluMist®.  The department is in the process of distributing those doses to ensure that the priority groups identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) are the first to be offered the vaccine.  Those priority groups are:

• pregnant woman;

• children and young adults six (6) months old through 24 years of age;

• caregivers for infants under the age of six (6) months;

• adults aged 25 through 64 with medical conditions that put them at risk for influenza-related complications; and

• health care workers and emergency medical service workers.

The health department expects to continue receiving shipments of H1N1 vaccine until enough has arrived to vaccinate everyone in Saint Louis County who chooses to be vaccinated.

Regardless of which type of vaccine a person chooses to receive, the CDC has determined that one (1) dose is sufficient to trigger an immunity to H1N1 flu in those ten (10) years old and older.  Children under the age of ten (10) will need either two shots or two doses of FluMist® given at least four weeks apart in order to develop an immunity.

The health department has been working with St. John’s Mercy and SSM DePaul Health Center to set up two H1N1 vaccination clinics for pregnant women on Saturday, October 31^st.  Both events will run from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Because of the limited quantity of preservative-free vaccine, preregistration is required.

To preregister for the event at SSM DePaul Health Center, registrants will need to call 1-866-SSM-DOCS (776-3627) or visit www.SSMHealth.com on the web.

To preregister for the event at St. John’s Mercy, registrants will need to call 1-866-891-6685 or visit www. StJohnsMercy.org/H1N1 on the web.

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