Seasonal, H1N1 flu vaccine to be combined this fall

Seasonal, H1N1 flu vaccine to be combined this fall
By Andrew Griffin on August 19, 2010
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By ANDREW W. GRIFFIN

Oklahoma Watchdog, editor

Posted: August 19, 2010

andrew@oklahomawatchdog.org

OKLAHOMA CITY — For those concerned about the impending flu season, the government will be making the seasonal flu vaccine available again this year.

Except this year, there is a difference -the normal seasonal flu vaccine will be combined with swine flu (H1N1) vaccine as well.

“The 2010-2011 seasonal flu vaccine will include the H1N1 strain that was responsible for the 2009 pandemic,” said Vicki Monks, media spokesperson for the Oklahoma City-County Health Department.

Monks pointed to a February 2010 press release on the Flu.gov website that states: “Today’s recommendation to include protection against the 2009 H1N1 flu strain in next season’s flu vaccine was made by the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. The committee’s recommendations typically guide vaccine manufacturers in preparing each season’s flu vaccines. The World Health Organization has made the same recommendation.This recommendation will go into effect for next fall’s flu season. In the meantime, you can still protect yourself against the H1N1 flu by getting your H1N1 vaccine now.”

More information on this vaccine plan is noted at the Virology blog with the story “Trivalent influenza vaccine for the 2010-2011 season.”

Monks said the seasonal flu vaccine will be available at OCCHD sometime around the first week in October, although a precise date was not yet made available.

“We will be charging $25 for flu shots this year, because of budget cutbacks at the state level,” Monks said. “All of the county health departments in the state will implement the $25 charge.”

Monks added that children who qualify for the “Vaccines for Children” program are eligible to receive the flu vaccination at no charge., while the Oklahoma State Department of Health is “currently in discussions with the counties about guidelines for providing flu shots for adults who cannot afford to pay.”

Currently, over 750 clinics and doctor’s offices in Oklahoma participate in the “Vaccines for Children” program.

Said Monks: “We will not turn anyone away because of an inability to pay. Our primary goal is to protect public health by reducing the incidence of disease, and vaccinations are an important part of that effort.”

Monks did also note that private providers such as pharmacies and physicians may have flu shots available before the October release date.

And it appears local pharmacies in Oklahoma City are already pushing the flu vaccines, considering that on two recent visits to a Walgreen’s, pharmacists aggressively tried to get this reporter to sign up for a flu vaccine. This website discovered that Walgreen’s is pushing this in a press report that said “the CDC expects the 2009 H1n1 virus to cause illness again this upcoming season along with other season flu viruses …”

For more information on Oklahoma Watchdog‘s coverage of the swine flu (H1N1) issue, note our recent story “Swine flu hype has passed in Oklahoma but concerns remain.”

And in today’s edition of the Tulsa World, health reporter Kim Archer wrote that the H1N1 virus had “largely run its course.” Of course it was noted that 45 Oklahomans died last year and 1,300 were hospitalized during the swine flu pandemic of ’09.

Copyright 2010 Oklahoma Watchdog

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Posted under Featured, News.
Tags: flu, H1n1, influenza, Kim Archer, Oklahoma City-County Health Department, Tulsa World, Vicki Monks
2 Comments For This Post So Far

1. justmeint
1:31 am on August 20th, 2010

Don’t we just adore receiving presents? And this winter, those of us fortunate to have caring folks around us may just be lucky enough to get one of these gift cards, with love, from a caring, sensitive and uneducated friend or family member!

JUST WHAT WE DON’T NEED

Walgreen’s Pharmacy is selling Influenza Vaccination Gift Cards.
http://just-me-in-t-health.blogspot.com/2010/08/gift-for-you.html

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August 19th, 2010 6:53 pm

I'd heard this a few months ago and couldn't believe it......well, actually nothing surprises me anymore with this level of control anymore. They knew that they couldn't get people to get it before BUT they can get plenty of people to take the other deadly seasonal flu shot. It only makes sense for them to just combine the two together.

I personally know someone who got a flew shot and nearly died a few hours later. Took them a while to get better. I believe that Jesse Ventura's child actually has some issues from a vaccine but can't be 100% sure.

The son of a friend of mine got shingles right after being vaccinated, it was a shame. He's better now but it was very painful. I was in WalGreens yesterday and they had vaccine gift cards on the counter at checkout. I am going back with some literature for the manager. Don't know if it will make a difference. Can you imagine, "the perfect stocking stuffer."

Check out FRONTLINE on PBS here is a link

The vaccine war




Some still insist is safe but at my age I won't risk anymore. What I am concern is for the newborns that get vaccinated four times more than we when we were young.