H1N1 Vaccine - Why should I care
(and When Can I get It)?
In preparation for Miami Dade College’s H1N1 vaccination campaign, I conducted an informal survey about H1N1 and flu vaccines. Among my family, friends and associates, it seems all the recent and prolonged media attention has stirred up controversy, making people more confused instead of less. I have seen a range of opinions, but most people seem to fall into one of two camps: A) I want the vaccine, but they’re making it impossible to get! – or – B) I wouldn’t get it for love or money, and you can’t make me!
I suspect this is not much different than official surveys, due to the tone and sheer quantity of information out there. Of course, people get frustrated and turned off when the topic is too confusing; we have plenty of other things to deal with, thanks. I sincerely hope, however, that deciding whether and how to get vaccinated – or any decision about one’s health – is an informed choice, not an emotional one. So here’s a mini FAQ about H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccinations for some help with the choices:
1. What is H1N1?
It is a type of influenza virus: a “flu.” There are a lot of different flu bugs all around the world. Each strain is just a little bit different than the others, and they mutate relatively quickly, so there are new strains all the time.
2. What about the regular flu?
That’s the seasonal flu. In North America in the winter, when people spend more time together indoors, we tend to pass the flu around. There are many strains, mutating and moving around the world inside people all the time. Sometimes, a strain of flu will mutate just a little more than usual or jump from another species. When that happens, the new strain is more virulent. Because the general population hasn’t developed immunity to the new strain, more people catch it. When they do, they generally experience worse symptoms for a longer period, and there are more deaths associated with it. This is called a pandemic, and right now, we’re in the middle of a global pandemic of H1N1.
3. Why do they call H1N1 the swine flu?
Some kinds of flu are exclusively for humans; some are just for other kinds of animals – remember bird flu? (That’s H5N1; it’s still out there.) Every so often, an animal flu will mutate and jump to a new species. It gets really interesting when this happens to humans. Like in this case, H1N1 was originally thought to have mutated from a pig (swine) flu strain.
4. Seasonal flu is no big deal, so why bother with a vaccine?
This is the question people in Camp B ask first. Unmanaged, the flu can and does actually kill people. But it depends on the type of flu you catch. If you’re a strong, healthy person and you catch a mild strain of flu, you may only have mild symptoms, like a cold. But if it is a virulent strain, or if you have small children, or other health issues, or you live with someone who is older, or who does have health problems, it may hit a lot harder. Since August 30, 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 1,224 deaths and 29,348 hospitalizations from the seasonal flu, even though this year’s strain is not considered to be virulent. H1N1 is, however.
5. Why get a vaccine at all? If I get sick, I’ll just go to my doctor and get antibiotics.
The flu, every strain, is a virus. Antibiotics do not work for viruses; they are made for bacterial infections. Taking them for anything else actually winds up making bacteria stronger. There are antiviral drugs that work (like Tamiflu), but to count on this, you have to be willing to get sick first, spread it around to your family, friends and coworkers while you are contagious but unaware (or in denial), give up and make an appointment, wait around in a medical office full of sick people, fill the prescription ($), take it, and wait for it to work, suffering all the while. If you can do something to avoid all that – and protect those around you too – why wouldn’t you?
6. Why do they come out with a new flu vaccine every year? Why not just make one that lasts longer?
That’s due to the fast rate of mutation of flu viruses. The 2009 vaccine is for the three strains of flu that our top medical professionals expect to be the most prevalent in the U.S. this flu season. By the time the 2010 flu season rolls around, the three strains will be different, so a different vaccine will be needed.
7. So why don’t they just put the H1N1 together with the seasonal flu so I don’t have to get two shots?
The good news is - they will. They would have done it this year, but there wasn’t time. Next year, it will just be added in with the seasonal flu shot.
8. I don’t have a lot of time. Can I get the seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 at the same time?
Yes!
9. So if H1N1 is just a flu, why are people so worried about it?
The flu can be dangerous, especially to some people. Certain people are “high-risk” – very young (under 4), older (over 65), and very sick people are the most at risk to get it and to be hospitalized or die from it. Because the H1N1 flu is a new and different strain, even healthier, younger people have a higher risk of catching H1N1 than the seasonal flu. And healthier, younger people often wait longer before getting help, especially for something like the flu, which increases their risk of complications. The CDC estimates the middle numbers will be approximately 22 million cases of H1N1 in the U.S. this year, of which 98,000 could be hospitalized and 3,900 could die. This isn’t even the worst-case-scenario. But you can do something about it: get vaccinated. The more people that get vaccinated, the safer it is for everyone.
10. I tried to get the vaccine last month. I waited for hours, and then they ran out.
Camp A folks – we have good news for you. It’s true, supplies have been limited, but more is becoming available every day. The Miami-Dade County Health Department has locations where you can get the H1N1 vaccine, and many offer other services as well.