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Monday morning, the Springfield/Greene County Health Department received its first shipment of the H1N1 vaccine ahead of schedule. KSMU’s Katie Easley spoke with a health department official about this vaccine and how people can get it.
The Springfield/Greene County Health department has received 1,400 doses of the live, nasal spray vaccine for the H1N1 influenza virus.
“We're going to be dispensing those to pediatrics offices and to our healthcare providers in town,” says Kevin Gibson, director of the Springfield/Greene County Health Department.
The vaccine is only recommended for people between the ages of 2 and 49 years old who don’t have chronic medical conditions and who are not pregnant. While pregnant women are encouraged to get vaccinated against the H1N1 flu virus, the nasal spray form of the vaccine which arrived Monday is not licensed for use on pregnant women, so officials say they will have to wait for a later form of the vaccine to arrive.
According to Gibson, health care workers at high risk of exposure, and children ages 2-18 are top priority for getting this vaccine first.
“This is just the first shipment we’ll be getting more every week of injectable vaccines and more flu mist as well. We think it’s important as we get to push it out as soon as possible,” says Gibson.
Gibson says the flu mist vaccine is a spray that goes in the nose and must be administered by a physician or health care worker. He also says one spray is expected to be enough to protect people from H1N1 unless they are under ten years old. Children under ten may need two sprays to become immune.
If you are interested in getting vaccinated for the H1N1 virus, Gibson says to call your health care provider to see whether they have the vaccination available. For KSMU News, I’m Katie Easley.
