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If you already have or have had the H1N1/09 Swine Flu, then there is no reason to take the vaccine. Vaccines are made to mimic the disease and "trick" your body into thinking you have the disease and so it builds up immunity as if you had it. But, you need to know for sure that you had that specific kind of flu by lab testing or you may not be immune. If you had a different type of flu, then you will still need a swine flu vaccination. The vaccine will do nothing if you are already immune from the disease. It also is only for prevention, it does not treat you when you have the flu.
If you are an adult and at least 10 days passed after you got the vaccine before you were exposed to the sick person, you likely were protected by the shot and won't get the flu from that contact.
If you are a child under ten who required two shots a month apart, then you would have had to have both shots and then a period of two weeks after the last shot before protection will have started. If you were exposed to the person who had the flu in the interim, then you may have been infected. Watch for symptoms and follow all precautions to avoid giving it to others. See also the related questions below.
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What strain of influenza is the seasonal flu?
Seasonal flu vaccines carry an H1N1 component, an H3N2 strain and an influenza B strain. The H1N1 component is not the Novel H1N1 strain that is in the swine flu vaccine
Is another term for H1N1 Swine Flu vaccine Pneumococcal vaccine?
No, the "pneumonia vaccine" is to protect against several types of pneumonia that are common and will not protect against the A-H1N1/09 virus. See related questions below.
What antigens will be in the 2010-2011 seasonal flu vaccine?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The flu vaccine protects against the three main flu strains that research indicates will cause the most illness during the flu season. This year's influenza vaccine contains three new influenza virus strains. They are: * A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus (the same strain as was used for 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccines); * A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus; * B/Brisbane 60/2008-like antigens. The 2010-11 influenza vaccine can protect you from getting sick from these three viruses, or it can make your illness milder if you get a related but different influenza virus strain. The strain of H1N1 influenza included in the 2010-2011 seasonal flu vaccine in the US is the same that caused the H1N1 Pandemic "Swine" Flu in 2009. A separate vaccination for that will not be required this year.
How many doses of H1N1 flu vaccine does each state in the US have?
In the US and Northern Hemisphere in the 2011-2012 flu season, the H1N1/09 (swine flu) vaccine is included in the "regular" seasonal flu vaccination. There is currently (fall 2011) no shortage of this vaccine and no shortage is expected this year. The states are no longer holding and distributing swine flu vaccine and the seasonal flu vaccinations are back to being provided by various private pharmacies and other locations, such as a doctor's office. States are no longer storing H1N1 vaccines.
When was the H1N1 shot made?
There have been several versions of H1N1 influenza over the years. But the most recent H1N1 flu was the pandemic "Swine Flu" A-H1N1/09. The monovalent (made with and for protection against a single virus) vaccine for it was made just before the flu season in fall/winter 2009-2010. Again, in the 2010-2011 flu season the same vaccine was included in the trivalent (made with three viruses) vaccine for the seasonal flu. If you had the monovalent vaccine in 2009, then you should still take the trivalent vaccine for the 2010 flu season. It will not hurt to get another dose of the H1N1/09 virus vaccine, it might enhance the immunity of some people, and you need to be vaccinated for the other two viruses that are most likely to be going around in this season.
Can the H1N1 vaccine make one sicker if already infected with the H1N1 virus?
No, the H1N1 vaccine won't make you sicker or healthier if you already have H1N1.
Can you get the H1N1 vaccine without the seasonal flu vaccine?
For the 2010 - 2011 Flu Season:The seasonal flu vaccine for the upcoming season will contain the H1N1 pandemic flu virus, so this year you will only need to get one vaccination to cover H1N1 and the other two seasonal flu strains chosen for the vaccine for this season. There may still be some of the 2009 - 2010 season monovalent vaccine for H1N1 available if you can not take the seasonal flu trivalent vaccine for some reason, you will need to check with a pharmacist where flu shots are being provided or with your health care professional to find out if that will be possible this year.For the 2009 - 2010 Flu Season:Yes, you could. The A-H1N1/09 and seasonal flu are two different diseases. It is recommended that you do get both vaccinations in the 2009-2010 flu season in the Northern Hemisphere. You get them in two different shots, but you can get them at the same time or at different times. There are also nasal mists. You can not get the two different nasal mists at the same time but you can get one vaccine by shot and the other by nasal spray at the same time or you can get both shots at the same time. If you have already had one or the other vaccines, then you can just get the other when it is available to you.
Local retailers are offering flu shots right now that they claim include the H1N1 strain while the CDC states that an H1N1 vaccine will not be available until mid October - what gives?
The seasonal flu shots for the 2009-2010 flu season in the Northern Hemisphere do not contain the vaccine for Pandemic A-H1N1/09 Swine Flu.To be fully protected from influenza this season, you will need to take the regular seasonal flu shot and then also another shot of the Pandemic A-H1N1/09 Swine Flu vaccine. Children will need two shots of the swine flu vaccine a month apart if they are under ten.As of today, September 16, 2009, the US Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is just finishing approvals for use of the new A-H1N1/09 Pandemic flu vaccine. It is not yet on the market, so if you are being told it is in the flu shot already out, then they are mistaken.There are different strains of the H1N1 virus and one of them is a typical and frequently seen seasonal flu strain. The 2009 - 2010 seasonal flu vaccine does contain a strain of H1N1 flu that is not the same as the A-H1N1/09 Pandemic swine flu. So it is likely that which has caused the confusion in this case.The seasonal flu vaccine for the 2009-2010 flu season contains the following strains of virus :A/Brisbane/59/2007(H1N1)-like virus;A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus;B/Brisbane 60/2008-like antigens.
Can you develop Multiple schlerosis from having the H1N1 vaccine?
the h1n1 vaccine does not work all the time
Was the flu shot for 2010-2011 flu season also for the H1N1 virus?
Yes , one strain of H1N1 influenza is included in the 2010-2011 seasonal flu vaccine in the US, but not all of them are. The H1N1 Pandemic "Swine" Flu from 2009 is the strain that will be included.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:The flu vaccine protects against the three main flu strains that research indicates will cause the most illness during the flu season. This year's influenza vaccine contains three new influenza virus strains.They are:A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus (the same strain as was used for 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccines);A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus;B/Brisbane 60/2008-like antigens.The 2010-11 influenza vaccine can protect you from getting sick from these three viruses, or it can make your illness milder if you get a related but different influenza virus strain.See the related links below for more information about the effectiveness of flu vaccine.
Should you get the flu shot first or the Swine Flu shot?
In the US in the 2010-2011 flu season: The seasonal flu shot will include the vaccine for H1N1/09, so you won't need a separate shot for the swine flu this year, and you will get all the protection in one vaccination.In the 2009-2010 flu season:It doesn't matter which shot you get first, as far as being protected from both the seasonal flu and the swine flu is concerned, as long as you do get both types of vaccinations. The two vaccines can not be mixed in one shot. You can take both shots on the same day. As of the end of October, 2009 in the US, there is plenty of seasonal flu vaccine available, while the swine flu vaccine is still being reserved for those at highest risk until the production of the vaccine catches up with the demand. You should not wait to get the seasonal flu vaccine until the swine flu vaccine is available to your risk group in your location for best protection against the seasonal flu. Go ahead and get the seasonal flu shot as soon as you can, and then get the H1N1 (swine flu) shot as soon as it is available to you, too.The nasal mist vaccinations for the two types of flu can not be given at the same time. Live 2009 H1N1 vaccine (the type used in the nasal sprays) can be administered at the same visit as any other live or inactivated vaccine EXCEPT seasonal live attenuated influenza vaccine.
Can you have both a seasonal flu shot and a Swine Flu shot?
For the 2011-2012 flu season:In the US, there may still be some of the 2009-2010 season monovalent H1N1 vaccine, you could ask your health care professional and pharmacist if it will be available for you in the upcoming flu season. But, for the 2011-2012 flu season, it will be included as part of the trivalent seasonal flu shot and won't be separate like in 2009.According to the information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the 2011-2012 vaccine, the flu vaccine protects against the three main flu strains that research indicates will cause the most illness during the flu season. This year's influenza vaccine contains the following three influenza virus strains.The 2011--12 U.S. seasonal influenza vaccine virus strains are identical to those contained in the 2010--11 vaccine. These include A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like, A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like, and B/Brisbane/60/2008-like antigens. The influenza A (H1N1) vaccine virus strain is derived from a 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virusThe strain of H1N1 influenza listed above that is included in the 2011-2012 seasonal flu vaccine in the US, is the same that caused the H1N1 Pandemic "Swine" Flu in 2009. A separate vaccination for that will not be required and if you had it before, it will not hurt to get it again and might help.
