09 Oct 2009 |
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Health experts are advising the public that the best line of defense against H1N1 is to be vaccinated. However, the relative newness of the vaccine has some people proceeding with caution, leading the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reassure them that the vaccine is safe and necessary. “The H1N1 vaccine is being produced exactly the same way that the seasonal flu vaccines are produced, with exactly the same careful oversight,” Dr. Anne Schuchat of the CDC said during a recent media briefing. “We’ve gone a further step to that, and the clinical trials have not found any red flags in terms of safety. Safety is just extremely important to all of us. And it’s something we take very seriously.” The CDC says it expects the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine to have a similar safety profile as traditional seasonal flu vaccines, which have a very good safety track record. Bellin experts are optimistic about the H1N1 vaccine. “We’re confident in the CDC’s assurance that the safety of the vaccine is comparable to that of the seasonal vaccine,” said Ellen Roy, an infection preventionist at Bellin. “We’ve been encouraging all of our employees to get inoculated once the H1N1 vaccine is readily available. We’re also stressing the importance of inoculation against the seasonal flu.” Health care and emergency medical services personnel are among the first wave of people slated for vaccination against the H1N1 flu, according to Wisconsin’s vaccine distribution plan. The state’s vaccine distribution plan will be divided into three phases:
The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration said they are closely monitoring for any signs that the H1N1 vaccine is causing unexpected adverse events and will work with state and local health officials to investigate any unusual events. The most common side effects following flu vaccinations are mild, such as soreness, redness, tenderness or swelling where the shot was given.
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