Health leaders back H1N1 vaccine

The Triangle's limited supplies of the H1N1 flu vaccine are going fast, even as health leaders are fighting an anti-vaccine campaign broadcast nationally.

"Political commentators are getting involved in a public health issue," said Dr. Myron Cohen, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases at the UNC-Chapel School of Medicine. "This is not politics. This is someone's kid. ... There is no reason to engender fear."

The vaccine, quickly rolled into production last spring after the H1N1 virus erupted in Mexico, is identical to seasonal flu vaccines except for the virus strain used to produce it. But with television personalities such as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and Bill Maher questioning its safety and necessity, doctors worry that people who would benefit from the vaccine may not get it. Efforts to reach these commentators proved unsuccessful.

"Flu is unpredictable," said Dr. Arlene Seņa, medical director of the Durham County Health Department.

The illness has caused at least 4,500 deaths worldwide. A study of 76 children who died of H1N1 infections found that a third were healthy youngsters who had no underlying medical conditions.

"This is a pandemic," Cohen said. "It was absolutely responsible to make a vaccine."

Last week, the first batches began arriving in the Triangle. Wake County officials ran out of 3,500 doses by Wednesday. Durham officials announced plans to hold H1N1 flu clinics for elementary students next Monday and Wednesday.

Vaccine deliveries are expected on a weekly basis, with eventual delivery of enough for most of those who want it.

Answers to common vaccine questions

Triangle doctors say some commentators are discouraging people from getting H1N1 flu shots. Here are answers to common questions about flu vaccines:

Q: Does the H1N1 vaccine contain additives? Like seasonal flu shots, some forms of H1N1 vaccine contain thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that has a controversial association with autism. The preservative is used in multiple-dose vials of flu vaccines. Parents who are worried about thimerosal exposure for their children can get flu shots using single-dose vials, which do not contain the preservative.

Another additive, specifically an adjuvant called squalene, is not in flu vaccines in the United States. Adjuvants are chemicals that boost the immune response. They're used in vaccines in Europe, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved them for use here.

Q: How much does the vaccine cost? The federal government has funded the vaccine, so patients pay no out-of-pocket fees at public health clinics. Doctors' offices and pharmacies, however, may charge an administration fee, which generally runs about $20 and may be covered by insurance.

Q: Since H1N1 flu is mild, why get a vaccine? Flu is notoriously unpredictable. For people with underlying health conditions, particularly asthma or cerebral palsy, it can trigger serious complications and even death. The novel virus has also shown an unusual tendency to infect healthy young people with more severity, where seasonal flu typically strikes older adults.

Q: Are there risks to the vaccine? As with any drug, there are potential side effects. The most common reactions to flu vaccine are redness and soreness at the injection site, although severe allergic reactions can occur -- often as a result of egg allergies. Flu vaccines are cultivated in chicken eggs.

In the 1970s, public health officials mounted a flu vaccine effort out of fears that an outbreak of a novel virus at a military base was the start of a pandemic.

The virus did not spread widely, buts some who received the vaccine developed a serious illness called Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Studies were inconclusive about the link and the cause.

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  CDC: Find more information about H1N1 flu