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A nurse administers a nasal spray vaccine to a student in Maryland A nurse administers a nasal spray flu vaccine to a student in Maryland. The first H1N1 vaccines, available this week, will be in the form of a nasal spray. (Photo Credit: Medimmune, Telley Lach/AP Images)

Flu Vaccines Ready This Week

First doses for H1N1 virus will be nasal spray

By Daniel Wetter | September 28 , 2009

Symptoms of the H1N1 virus are almost identical to regular flu, except for one thing. H1N1 happens faster.

"It suddenly hit me," said Andrew Christensen, 12, a student from Buljan Middle School in Roseville, California. "I didn't want to do anything or eat at all." Currently, 4% of the student population at Buljan has the flu, despite extra precautions by the staff.

"We're wiping down everything," said Signe Adcock, the Buljan school secretary. Vaccines may be the only way to truly prevent a massive outbreak this flu season, and they are finally on the way.

Vaccines for the H1N1 virus should be available this week, according to two high-ranking government officials. The first 6-7 million doses will mostly be in the form of nasal spray. The injected version will follow by mid-month.

"We will have enough vaccine for every American who wants to be immunized," said Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services. Sebelius and Dr. Anne Schuchat spoke to reporters via conference call recently. Schuchat is Director of the Center for Disease Control’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

The vaccine is free and will be distributed locally, they said. The federal government, which has already paid for all the medication, is urging local medical providers to distribute the vaccines for free or for only a small fee. Children ages six months to nine years old will require two doses. The second dose should be given 21-28 days after the first dose. People aged 10 years and older will only need one dose. The vaccine takes approximately 8-10 days to start protecting against infection.

Plans for distributing the vaccine will be decided by local and state governments. The people most vulnerable to the disease should get vaccinated first. Those people are called target populations. Targets include people ages six months to 24 years old, pregnant women, elderly, and people with other illnesses

Andrew Christensen and his family will be among those in line for the H1N1 vaccine when it’s available in October. Even though Andrew has already had the virus, health officials still recommend that he get vaccinated.

"We are planning on getting the vaccine," said Andrew's mother, Joni.

While vaccines are highly recommended, a trip to the doctor is not always necessary according to Dr. Schuchat.

"Unless you are in the target population, you do not need to go to the doctor when you catch the flu," Dr. Schuchat said.

Also, tests to diagnose patients for the H1N1 virus are not encouraged for healthier people. The government wants doctors and health care providers to concentrate their resources on treating infected target populations and handing out vaccines.

"The flu symptoms get better by staying home, resting, drinking lots of fluids," Dr. Schuchat said. Staying home when sick is the best way to prevent the spread of disease.

Sebelius and Dr. Schuchat also both discouraged treating flu symptoms with anti-virals like Tamiflu.

"We are starting to see resistance with these [treatments]," Dr. Schuchat said. "If we blanket the population with these medicines it may do more harm than good.

In early September, President Obama held a press briefing of the H1N1 virus. “Every American has a role to play in responding to this virus,” he said, "We need everyone to take common-sense steps that we know can make a difference."

These steps include staying home when sick, covering your sneeze or cough with your sleeve, and washing your hands frequently.

"I know it sounds simple, but it's important and it works," President Obama said.

You can learn more details about how to prevent and treat the H1N1 virus at the government's new Web site.

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About the Author

Daniel Wetter is a member of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.


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