Why should my child get the swine flu vaccine?
Influenza, whether H1N1 (swine flu) or not, is a common cause of illness, resulting in days of high fever, days to weeks of bad cough, and the potential for dehydration, pneumonia, or other complications leading to hospitalization. It spreads easily among children and is a major cause of missed school days for children and missed work days for their parents.
Is the vaccine safe?
Yes. The swine flu vaccine is produced by the same process, and in the same plants, as the regular seasonal influenza vaccine which we recommend children receive annually.
Does my child need separate vaccination for seasonal influenza and for swine flu?
Yes. Protection from swine flu does not mean protection from seasonal influenza, and vice versa.
How is the vaccine administered?
Children over six months of age can get the injected swine flu vaccine. Children over two years age can get the nasal swine flu vaccine. However, children with active asthma should not receive the nasal form.
How many shots does it take?
Children over nine years old need one dose of swine flu vaccine. Children under ten years old (and at least six months old) need two doses of swine flu vaccine, at least four weeks apart. Children under six months old cannot be vaccinated.
My child is allergic to eggs.
If he had a severe egg reaction with breathing problems, he should not receive influenza vaccine. If he had only a rash, he may receive influenza vaccine.
My child already had swine flu this year.
If the doctor was very confident in the diagnosis, it's not necessary to be vaccinated, but if you want to be vaccinated to be on the safe side, it's OK to do so. If the diagnosis was uncertain, we recommend vaccination. If your child was diagnosed with swine flu and then treated with Tamiflu, he may not have enough immunity, and he should receive the swine flu vaccine.
My child had "the flu" recently, but the doctor didn't say whether it was swine flu.
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My child had the regular influenza vaccine recently.
If he received the injected influenza vaccine, he may receive either form (nasal or injected) of the swine flu vaccine immediately. If he received the nasal form of the seasonal influenza vaccine, he should wait a month before receiving the nasal form of the swine flu vaccine, but he may receive the injected swine flu vaccine immediately.
Does the swine flu vaccine interact with any other vaccines?
The injected swine flu vaccine does not. The nasal swine flu vaccine should not be given within 1 month of the MMR and Varicella vaccines which our practice gives at 12 months age and with the kindergarten vaccines.
Where can I read more about the swine flu vaccination?
Read this information from the Centers for Disease Control.