Student Health Services

H1N1 Injectable Vaccine

Groups recommended to receive 2009 H1N1 injectable vaccine first are:

• Pregnant women
• People who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months of age
• Health care and emergency medical personnel
• Anyone from 6 months through 24 years of age
• Anyone from 25 through 64 years of age with certain chronic medical conditions or a weakened immune system

H1N1 Nasal Spray Vaccine

The H1N1 nasal spray vaccine is approved for people from 2 through 49 years of age who are not pregnant and do not have certain long-term health conditions (including but not limited to heart or lung disease, asthma or diabetes). Groups recommended to receive 2009 H1N1 nasal spray vaccine first are:

• Healthy people 2 through 24 years of age,
• Healthy people 25 through 49 years of age who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months of age, or are health care or emergency medical personnel.

Student Health Services has not yet received any H1N1 nasal spray vaccine.

Note: While certain groups should not get the H1N1 nasal spray vaccine - for example pregnant women, people with long-term health problems, and children from 6 months to 2 years of age - it is important that they be vaccinated. They should get the H1N1 injectable vaccine.

Seasonal Flu Injectable Vaccine

The flu shot is an inactivated vaccine (containing killed virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and people with chronic medical conditions.

Seasonal Flu Nasal Vaccine

The nasal spray flu vaccine is a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu (sometimes called LAIV for "live attenuated influenza vaccine" or FluMist®). LAIV (FluMist®) is approved for use in healthy people 2 to 49 years of age who are not pregnant.

Who Should Not Be Vaccinated

There are some people who should not get a flu vaccine without first consulting a physician. These include:

• People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs.
• People who have had a severe reaction to an influenza vaccination.
• People who previously developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting an influenza vaccine.
• Children less than 6 months of age (influenza vaccine is not approved for this age group), and
• People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever (they should wait until they recover to get vaccinated.)