Well Being & Resiliency
WebMD provides a practical guide to the H1N1 swine flu vaccine
WebMD provides a practical guide to the H1N1 swine flu vaccine http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/h1n1-swine-flu-vaccine-faq
An October 1st, 2009, e-article on WebMD.com has a helpful Q&A section on H1N1 inoculations.
Two examples:
How much will the H1N1 swine flu vaccine cost?
The U.S. government purchased the vaccine from manufacturers and is providing the vaccine at no cost.
The CDC has asked providers NOT to charge for administering the vaccine. Even if they do, several large insurance companies have said the costs would be covered.
Is the H1N1 swine flu vaccine safe?
The H1N1 swine flu vaccine, both the shots and the nasal spray, are made the same way as the seasonal flu vaccine.
Every year or so, the seasonal vaccine -- which includes a component based on the seasonal H1N1 virus -- is tweaked to match a flu virus that has changed its genetic makeup. The same kind of tweaking resulted in the H1N1 swine flu vaccine.
That's why the FDA approved it: They considered it just a strain change, and not a brand new vaccine.
Even so, both long- and short-term clinical trials are under way. Results from the short-term studies already are here: Other than causing the usual soreness and perhaps redness at the site of injection, the vaccines cause no major side effects.
And like the seasonal flu vaccine, the H1N1 swine flu vaccine can't be taken by everybody. The vaccine is produced in hens' eggs, so people with egg allergies cannot take the vaccine.
Will there be long-term side effects? That's not likely -- but the CDC is taking no chances. The CDC and vaccine manufacturers have beefed up their safety monitoring process to look for anything unusual in people who get vaccinated against the new flu.