VIEWER QUESTIONS FROM THE LIVE BROADCAST
PLEASE NOTE: The questions and answers below are not an exact transcript of the program, but provide the essential information edited from the live televised discussion. Vaccination schedules mentioned in the program are subject to change, depending on earlier or delayed arrival of vaccine doses. In all cases, if you have questions, contact your health care provider, or visit the Web sites of the Rhode Island Department of Health or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Q. Have there been H1N1 vaccine trials on pregnant women and are the effects on the baby known?
Q. Is it true that the vaccine is not manufactured in the United States?
Q. When will senior citizens with underlying medical conditions get the H1N1 vaccine?
Q. Will the panelists be getting the vaccine?
Q. Is it safe to travel at this time?
Q. Does the seasonal vaccine cover H1N1?
Q. Does the Swine flu vaccine taken in the 1970s provide immunity now?
Q. Why does it seem the elderly have immunity to H1N1?
Q. Can both the seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines be taken on the same day?
Q. Is there mercury in the H1N1 vaccine?
Q. Why do children under 9 years of age need two doses of the vaccine?
Q. Can people with an allergy to eggs get the vaccine?
Q. Can a person who is sick get the vaccine?
Q. How effective is the H1N1 (Swine) flu vaccine in preventing the illness?
Q. Can a person get or spread the flu if vaccinated with the live (attenuated) vaccine?
Q. Will the government enforce vaccination of people who work in public places?
Q. Can a person who has already had the H1N1 (Swine) flu get it again?
Q. Will there be vaccine clinics in the schools?
Q. Which is more effective - the activated or inactivated vaccine?
Q. What are the disease stages as defined by the World Health Organization, and what is the current stage?
A. The H1N1 (Swine) flu is currently identified by the World Health Organization as "Stage 6 Pandemic." That designation does not measure the severity of illness, but how widespread the illness is. "Stage 6 Pandemic" - the highest level - means H1N1 is widespread throughout many countries. (back)
Q. Have there been H1N1 vaccine trials on pregnant women and are the effects on the baby known?
A. The H1N1 vaccine is similar to the seasonal flu vaccine, which has been produced for many years and deemed safe for pregnant women. Effects of the H1N1 vaccine on the babies born to women who received the vaccine when pregnant are not yet known, because trials and vaccinations began within nine months. (back)
Q. Is it true that the vaccine is not manufactured in the United States?
A. Five companies make the seasonal influenza vaccine, and most of them are in Europe. These same companies are also manufacturing the H1N1 vaccine. Two companies are making some vaccine in the United States, but most of the vaccine is made in Europe. (back)
Q. When will senior citizens with underlying medical conditions get the H1N1 vaccine?
A. Late December or January* (See chart of vaccine timetable here). There appears to be little H1N1 risk to the elderly. Elderly are encouraged, however, to get the seasonal flu vaccine. *Dates are subject to change, depending on earlier or delayed availability of vaccine doses. (back)
Q. Will the panelists get the vaccine?
A. (All panelists and the show host said yes.) (back)
Q. Is it safe to travel at this time?
A. It is just as safe as at any other time. There is a risk of getting sick, but it is no greater right now. (back)
Q. Does the seasonal vaccine cover H1N1?
A. No, it does not. Two vaccines are needed this year - one against seasonal flu, and one against H1N1. That's because officials did not predict the H1N1 strain in time to include it in the seasonal influenza vaccine. Next year, it is expected that only one vaccine will cover both the H1N1 and seasonal flu. (back)
Q. Does the Swine flu vaccine taken in the 1970s provide immunity now?
A. No, it does not. Nor does any vaccination against the flu within the past five years. (back)
Q. Why does it seem the elderly have immunity to H1N1?
A. It is believed that people born before the 1950s were exposed to a similar virus, and developed some level of natural immunity. (back)
Q. Can both vaccines be taken on the same day?
A. If both vaccines are by injection, or if one vaccine is by injection and the other by nasal spray, then yes, both can be given during the same visit.
If both vaccines are nasal spray, they must be administered four weeks apart. (back)
Q. If someone is home sick, what's the best way to protect the caregiver and other members in the household?
A. A caregiver can use a surgical mask (which discourages touching the face), and careful hand washing. It's also important to teach children proper hand washing technique, and to cough or sneeze into their elbow.
The Rhode Island Department of Health Web site has information about caring for a sick person. (back)
Q. Is there mercury in the H1N1 vaccine?
A. Yes, the multi-dose vials have mercury. However, there is a large body of data that indicates the preservative has no ill effects. The nasal spray vaccine does not have mercury. (back)
Q. Why is the H1N1 (Swine) flu and vaccine being promoted so much when more people die from the "regular" seasonal flu?
A. Most flu cases so far this year are showing up as H1N1 (Swine) flu.
H1N1 is spread very efficiently. Seasonal flu requires contact to spread from one person to another. H1N1 can pass from one person to another through the "droplets" in the air caused by speech, cough, sneeze, within three feet. This virus also lives for some time on hard non-porous surfaces. (back)
Q. Why do children under 9 years of age need two doses of the vaccine?
A. Studies have shown that children 9 years and younger have what is termed a "naive" immune system, and need two doses of a vaccine to build sufficient immunity. Children 10 years and older respond better to one dose. (back)
Q. Can people with an allergy to eggs get the vaccine?
A. The vaccine is grown in eggs. Whether the vaccine should be taken depends on the kind of allergic reaction a person has. In general, if the egg allergy causes an anaphylactic reaction - swelling in the throat or difficulty breathing - the person should avoid the vaccine. However, allergists can do the proper testing to determine whether the vaccine is OK to take on a case by case basis. (back)
Q. Can a person who is sick get the vaccine?
A. If the person has a fever, then no.
If the person has mild symptoms of illness, such as a runny nose, mild gastrointestinal complaint, or is taking antibiotics, it is OK to get the H1N1 flu vaccine. (back)
Q. How effective is the H1N1 (Swine) flu vaccine in preventing the illness?
A. No vaccine is 100% effective. Reports are that the vaccine is 75-80% protective. Additionally, if you do get the flu, it is supposed to be milder than without the vaccine. (back)
Q. Can a person get or spread the flu if vaccinated with the live (attenuated) vaccine?
A. No. The virus in the vaccine is weakened, and does not spread easily. (back)
Q. Will schools close if many students are out sick?
A. The policy is to keep schools open. The RI Department of Education is in communication with school committees, superintendants, and school administrators to monitor the situation; however, there is currently no plan to close schools due to H1N1. The only exception may be if the number of staff out sick is so high that, operationally, a school cannot run. (back)
Q. Will the government enforce vaccination of people who work in public places?
A. In Rhode Island, getting the H1N1 (Swine) flu vaccine is voluntary. (back)
Q. Can a person who has already had the H1N1 (Swine) flu get it again?
A. Because the virus changes from year to year, yes, it is possible that a person who had H1N1 to get a version of it again. (back)
Q. Will there be vaccine clinics in the schools?
A. Yes. Parental consent is required, and consent forms have been mailed to students' homes.
Clinics will be held after school hours (approximately 4-8 P.M.) for elementary school children, so parents can accompany the child. Vaccine clinics for middle and high school students will be scheduled during regular school hours. (back)
Q. Which is more effective - the activated or inactivated vaccine?
A. It depends on the age group. Vaccine with live virus is more effective on younger children, and the inactive vaccine is effective in older children and adults. (back)
Q. In the 1970s swine flu vaccine was associated with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Can that happen again?
A. Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a serious disorder in which the body's immune system begins to attack the body itself, causing what is known as an autoimmune disease. Although scientists do not know exactly what causes GBS, yes, it is possible that the H1N1 vaccine could cause it.
(From the CDC Web site: It is thought that GBS may be triggered by an infection. The infection that most commonly precedes GBS is caused by a bacterium called Campylobacter jejuni. Other respiratory or intestinal illnesses and other triggers may also precede an episode of GBS. In 1976, vaccination with the swine flu vaccine was associated with getting GBS. Several studies have been done to evaluate if other flu vaccines since 1976 were associated with GBS. Only one of the studies showed an association. That study suggested that one person out of 1 million vaccinated persons may be at risk of GBS associated with the vaccine.) (back)
Q. What if I don't have health insurance?
A. The H1N1 (Swine) flu vaccine is provided through the federal government. Children and adults without health insurance will be able to get the vaccine at no cost.
For more information about the 2009 H1N1 virus please visit:
Rhode Island Department of Health
Flu Information Line:
401-222-8022
Massachusetts Executive Office of Health & Human Services
- Massachusetts Department of Public Health Flu Facts
- Massachusetts H1N1 Blog Includes reports updated weekly
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Flu.gov Web site