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Here is who should be first in line this fall when the H1N1 vaccine becomes available, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control announced today: Pregnant women, all children (except those under six months old), teens and young adults up to 24 years old, people with babies under six months old, health care workers and nonelderly adults who have underlying medical conditions.

“We really should go out full force to make sure these groups get addressed,” Anne Schuchat, the CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease director, said at a press conference in Atlanta, Ga.

The entire group, estimated to sum up to just under 149 million people, will be the primary targets for the first rounds of vaccine but in no particular order. Only in rare situations of shortages, Schuchat noted, would certain sectors within that larger group be prioritized (bringing the total number of the core down to about 41 million).

But it’s unlikely that all—or possibly even most—of those in the recommended groups will get the vaccine, as less than 42 percent of those recommended to get the seasonal flu vaccine actually have in years past.

The vaccine supply may be more limited in the U.S. than other countries, however, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not licensed any vaccines that use adjuvants, which increase the effectiveness of the dose, thereby making smaller amounts of the actual antigen necessary.

Notably missing from the list was the 65-plus crowd, which is often hit hard by seasonal flu. But, as Schuchat explained, “The H1N1 virus has been sparing those people to a large extent.”

The announcement comes a day after a study was published online in The Lancet detailing the higher risk that pregnant women face from the flu. The study analyzed the 34 cases of pregnant women who were diagnosed with the flu in April and May of this year. Of those women, 11 of them were hospitalized and six died. These hospitalization and fatality rates were far higher than those for the average population.

Although pregnant women have many of the same initial H1N1 virus symptoms as the rest of the population, complications are much more likely, according to the study, which recommends that pregnant women be given Tamiflu before test results for the virus even come back. Many health care workers, however, were initially reluctant to dispense the antiviral because, as the study notes, “information about the safety and effectiveness of these anti-influenza drugs during pregnancy is scarce.” But the general sentiment is now that, “the benefits of treatment with these drugs are likely to outweigh potential risks to the fetus,” the paper concludes.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto/AndreasReh

9 Comments

1. 1. joystar55@earthlink.net 11:59 PM 7/29/09

   This seems like insanity to me. These vulnerable groups will be the guinea pigs for the vaccine as it will not be sufficiently tested for safety before people are inoculated with it. Also the makers of the vaccine are being given immunity for the deaths and side effects that the vaccine may cause.
   http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/56/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27275
   Protect your right to make your own medical decisions.

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2. 2. Soccerdad 09:34 AM 7/30/09

   If those in the selected groups are as scared of the vaccine as joystar, I'll volunteer to receive their dose. As usual, the vaccine hysteria will be more damaging than the vaccine itself.

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3. 3. Nathaniel 02:09 PM 7/30/09

   If H1N1 mutates as fast as the flu, there is no point in vaccination since what you're being vaccinated with will not be the same as the wild type virus. Vaccinations for slowly mutating viruses makes sense, but for fast mutating viruses, it's just plain stupid. The regular flu vaccine is a money making scam, and I would venture to guess that this is as well.

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4. 4. JM 01:46 AM 7/31/09

   Thimerosal is a mercury-containing organic compound (an organomercurial). Since the 1930s, it has been widely used as a preservative in a number of biological and drug products, including many vaccines, to help prevent potentially life threatening contamination with harmful microbes. Article from the FDA http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/UCM096228
   
   I think all vaccinations at this point are dangerous. They all have Thimerasol as it is used as a preservative. Thimerasol is mercury. When has it been ok to use mercury in our bodies? Never! It significantly affects the nervous system. So if we are wondering why we have so much autism in the US we can only point to one thing that everyone is doing - vaccinations. I do not and will not take any new vaccination until Thimerasol has been removed. It's seems to me that the pharmaceutical companies are always coming up with something new. How about the STD vaccinations for girls? It clearly states on TV that it really does nothing so why would you vaccinate? After significant research I ask all family members to ask for vaccinations without Thimerasol.
   
   I just don't trust the Pharmaceutical industry. There just out to make a buck
   

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5. 5. meatpopcicle 03:33 PM 7/31/09

   Thimerosal has not been used in vaccines for years. get your facts straight before you spread Fear Uncertainty and Doubt. Autism rates have increased because of the way doctors and scientists diagnose it. There is no link between vaccines, Thimerosal and Autism.
   
   Our societies today rely on the "herd immunity" provided by vaccines. By not vaccinating your children you are exposing them to that illness. You are also exposing others within the population that cannot get the vaccine for one reason or another. By not vaccinating you are expressing your religious/political rights, but those rights are putting other people at serious risk of injury and even death.
   
   

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6. 6. JacquiS 02:08 PM 8/4/09

   Stay clear of this vaccination - not enough long term studies have been done of this particular one and Big Pharma has been given immunity from prosecution if anything should go wrong with anyone vaccinated. This is absurd and dangerous.
   Anyone that wants to run the risk of side effects or long term damage from this vaccination - then go ahead but it should not be obligatory for the population in general.

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7. 7. pattenm 12:31 AM 9/16/09

   Pregnant women, all children (except those under six months old), teens and young adults up to 24 years old, people with babies under six months old, health care workers and nonelderly adults who have underlying medical conditions.
   
   These should be the first to receive the vaccines but many other groups should be added as well such as teachers who are exposed continually to children at school who also are infected.....
   
   MP

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8. 8. Priscila in reply to JM 04:59 PM 9/22/09

   All vaccines DO NOT contain thimerosal, only the flu vaccine. The reason for higher incidence of Autism is because it is now more recognized and diagnosed than in the past. You ingest more mercury eating a piece of fish like grouper than an actual flu vaccine.

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9. 9. connectivetissue 09:12 PM 10/3/09

   H1N1 Vaccines and Your Children: The details are in the fine print! http://wp.me/pC1DX-34
   
   WARNING: Safety and effectiveness of Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine have not been established in pregnant women or nursing mothers or children <6 months of age. References from the CDC included in the above link. Seeing is believing so take a look not only for yourself, but for your family as well.
   

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