Is vaccine alive or dead? How many doses?
There is some confusion on two points regarding swine flu shots: Is the swine flu vaccine alive or dead, and how many doses will you need. The following, from Foxnews.com, clarifies things:
Q: Why is the nasal-spray vaccine arriving before the shots, and can I use either one?
A: They’re considered equally effective, but FluMist finished brewing sooner. There is an important difference, though. Flu shots, made of killed flu virus, are for anyone without an egg allergy. FluMist, besides the egg issue, is only for use in healthy people ages 2 to 49 — no pregnancy or underlying conditions. It’s made of live but weakened flu virus. So some people on the first-in-line list for the new H1N1 vaccine aren’t eligible for FluMist.
Q: Who’s first in line?
A: Pregnant women; the young, ages 6 months through 24 years; people younger than 64 who have conditions such as asthma or diabetes that increase the risk of complications from flu; health workers and caregivers of newborns.
Q: I thought flu was most dangerous to people 65 and older.
A: Regular winter flu is most dangerous to older adults, but the new H1N1 is predominantly striking the young.
Q: How many shots, or squirts, will I need?
A: Most people will need one dose each of the swine flu vaccine and the regular winter flu vaccine. But health authorities believe children under 10 will need two doses of the swine flu vaccine, about three weeks apart. And some very young children getting their first regular flu vaccination will need two doses of it, too, for a total a four inoculations.
