Vaccine questions: H1N1, children focus of FAQs

Other questions

Does my child need one or two doses of the H1N1 vaccine?

For children under 10, the current recommendation is two doses. For children over 10, one dose will be sufficient.

Will kids have to get both flu shots from now on? Will the seasonal and the H1N1 ever be combined to one?

We already know that for influenza vaccines being developed for the southern hemisphere, the H1N1 vaccine is going to replace the seasonal vaccine. So for that particular vaccine, only one influenza vaccine will be formulated, which incorporates the virus strain for what we're currently seeing that we call a pandemic H1N1. And we would anticipate that possibly for the northern hemisphere, a similar approach may be undertaken.

Will the seasonal flu shot decrease the chances of getting the H1N1 virus?

The current data suggests that it will not. Seasonal influenza vaccines will not provide sufficient protection against the pandemic H1N1.

What happens if my child is allergic to eggs and cannot get the vaccine?

If you have severe egg allergies, then the alternative is the use of antivirals, either for prophylaxis or for treatment. Many people state they have egg or are egg allergic, yet they're able to eat eggs in food products. Most of them will tolerate the vaccines just fine.

Do you recommend my child getting vaccinated if we are leaving the country for the holidays?

The answer is yes, and I would still recommend for your child to get vaccinated if your child was not leaving the country.

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