H1N1 vaccine available on Oct. 15

JACKSON — The H1N1 vaccine will now be available at the Northampton County Health Department starting Oct. 15 through Oct. 30, as county Health Director Sue G. Gay updated commissioners during their Monday morning meeting about the virus.

“The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are changing guidelines and recommendations on a daily basis,” she said. “The H1N1 will give me grayer hair.”

The H1N1 vaccine comes in two forms — live, attenuated intranasal vaccine (LAIV), which is sprayed into the nose and the inactivated, which is a shot.

According to the CDC, LAIV is approved for people from 2 through 49 years of age who are not pregnant and do not have certain health conditions. Groups recommended first for it are healthy people who are from 2 through 24 years of age; are from 25 through 49 years of age; live with or care for infants younger than 6 months of age; or are health care or emergency medical personnel.

As more vaccine becomes available, other healthy 25 through 49 year olds should also be vaccinated.

It should not given to:

• children younger than 2 and adults 50 years and older

• pregnant women

• anyone with a weakened immune system

• anyone with a long-term health problem such as heart disease, kidney or liver disease, lung disease, metabolic disease such as diabetes and asthma, anemia and other blood disorders

• children younger than 5 years with asthma or one or more episodes of wheezing during the past year

• anyone with certain muscle or nerve disorders (such as cerebral palsy) which can lead to breathing or swallowing problems

• anyone in close contact with a person with a severely weakened immune system (requiring care in a protected environment, such as a bone marrow transplant unit)

• children or adolescents on long-term aspirin treatment

The CDC recommends if you are moderately or severely ill, you might be advised to wait until you recover before getting the vaccine. If you have a mild cold or other illness, there is usually no need to wait.

The inactivated vaccine (vaccine that has killed virus in it) is injected into the muscle, like the annual flu shot.

It is recommended to pregnant women and people who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months of age. Health care and emergency medical personnel, anyone from 6 months through 24 years of age and anyone from 25 through 64 years of age with certain chronic medical conditions or a weakened immune system are also recommended to take the shot.

“If there is ample vaccine, then healthy 25 through 64 year olds and adults 65 years and older should be vaccinated as the vaccine becomes available,” she said. “Right now, it is limited.

She stressed children nine and under should have two doses of vaccine, about a month apart. Older children and adults need only one dose.

Gay told the commissioners they are only allowed to send three samples a week to the state. “It is in almost every county in the state,” she said. “We have had it and will continue to have it.”

She continues to stress the everyday precautions people should take: Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze and cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.

“If you have a fever, you must be without it 24 hours before returning to work and school,” Gay said.

There is no fee for the H1N1 shot but there is an administrative fee to be determined, she added. “We also have the seasonal flu vaccine at the health department,” she said.

Cost is $25 for the adult flu shot and there is no cost if a person has Medicare or Medicaid.