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Vaccine Recommendations

Two Flus; Two Vaccines

There are two flus, the regular seasonal flu and H1N1 (swine flu), circulating this year.  You need two different vaccinations to protect yourself. The vaccine for one flu does not protect against the other.

What are the differences between regular seasonal flu and H1N1?

The age groups affected by H1N1 flu are usually younger than those affected by the regular seasonal flu. This is true for those most often infected, and especially for those who have serious or deadly illness.

Since the risk groups are different, and because vaccine will be in a limited supply at first, we recommend that certain people receive their vaccinations first. While you wait for your vaccine, take these simple steps to protect yourself from the flu.

Vaccine Information

There are different formulations of both the seasonal flu and H1N1 flu vaccines. Both types of vaccine are available in a shot or a nasal spray.

H1N1 Vaccine Priority Groups

The H1N1 vaccine can prevent serious illness or even death, particularly for those who seem most vulnerable to the H1N1 flu (listed below).

US CDC released a list of recommended priority groups to receive the initial doses of H1N1 vaccine last summer. These groups were chosen because they were at high risk for complications from H1N1 or because they could pass H1N1 on to someone at high risk for complications.

Currently (as of Mid- November), we have received enough vaccine for about 1 in 4 people in priority populations in Maine. For this reason, Maine CDC has had to prioritize within the priority groups, based on trends in infections, the type and amount of vaccine available, and readiness of partners to administer vaccine.

Once all of the prioritized groups have been vaccinated, we anticipate that there will be enough vaccine for anyone who wants it. However, vaccine may not be available to those not included in the priority groups until early in 2010.

  The groups recommended to receive the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine first include:  
  • Pregnant Women because they are at higher risk of complications and can potentially provide protection to newborns who cannot be vaccinated
  • Household contacts and caregivers of infants less than 6 months old because younger infants are at higher risk of flu-related complications and cannot be vaccinated
  • All children and youth ages 6 months to 18 years of age because cases of 2009 H1N1 influenza have been seen in children who are in close contact with each other in school and day care settings, which increases the likelihood of disease spread and because of the severity of disease in school-aged children.
  • Health Care Workers with frequent direct contact with infectious materials and hospital inpatients who are at high risk (pregnant women, children, and high-risk adults older than 65)

  As of mid-November, we have provided vaccine for many in the above groups, and will continue  
  to provide vaccine for the remaining people in these groups as well as next concentrating on:  
  • Preschoolers ages 6 months to 5 years of age because cases of 2009 H1N1 influenza have been seen in children who are in close contact with each other in day care settings, which increases the likelihood of disease spread, and because of the severity of disease in these children.
  • People ages 25-64 who have health conditions especially those with respiratory-related and neuro-muscular conditions.
  • Health Care Workers providing direct care to high-risk individuals in all settings.

  Over the next several weeks, and into January, we expect to provide vaccine to:  

Older Adults are not among the priority groups for H1N1 vaccine because studies indicate people over the age of 64 have some immunity to H1N1.

Seasonal Vaccine Priority Groups

It’s recommended that most people get vaccinated for the regular seasonal flu every year. However, some groups are more at risk for having complications from the seasonal flu. These include:

  • Those age 65 and older
  • Children younger than 2 years old
  • People of any age who have chronic medical conditions (e.g. diabetes, asthma, congestive heart failure, lung disease)

Where can I get vaccine?

  • K-12 school-located clinics are almost complete. Clinics to administer booster shots for children 9 and younger will be scheduled soon.
  • Vaccine has been shipped to pediatric health care providers that placed orders for H1N1 vaccine. Public Health Nurses are conducting vaccine clinics in preschool settings for high-risk children and will soon be conducting vaccine clinics in Head Start locations. Other organizations are also starting to organize clinics for preschool aged children.
  • The limited amount of vaccine formulation that is ideal for adults is being distributed to specialists serving those adults who are at the highest risk – pulmonologists, cardiologists, oncologists, neurologists, rheumatologists, infectious disease physicians, and dialysis centers.  We hope to be able to distribute increasing amounts of vaccine to other adult practices, such as internal medicine physicians. 
  • Clinics for high risk groups will be starting in the coming weeks. Find a vaccination clinic near you.
  • We hope to provide more vaccine for health care workers by the end of this month as the vaccine formulations for adults become more available. Any health care worker who fits into another high-risk group (pregnant, household member of an infant younger than six months, younger than 65 with an underlying health condition) should try to access vaccine now.