Snoqualmie Valley Hospital starts H1N1 FluMist vaccine
October 28, 2009
By Laura Geggel
Snoqualmie Valley Hospital received a small shipment of swine flu vaccine Oct. 22, but the vaccines were only made available to local healthcare workers and firefighters.
SVH doesn’t require its healthcare workers to receive the swine flu vaccine, but SVH nurse and North Bend resident Kristi Greer decided to get it.
Snoqualmie Valley Hospital nurse Karen LaJambe (left) gives the H1N1 FluMist vaccine to fellow nurse Kristi Greer. SVH healthcare workers and local firefighters can get the H1N1 influenza vaccine before the general public. Photo by Laura Geggel
Greer said she always receives seasonal flu shots, “so why stop now?” she asked.
“I have a grandbaby and I don’t want to pass on anything,” Greer said. “I want to see her grow. I’m not ready to go.”
There is a delay in the national vaccination supply of swine flu, known as H1N1. Health officials originally predicted there would be as many as 120 million doses of H1N1 vaccine by mid-October. As of Oct. 21, only about 11.2 million doses had been shipped. Of those doses, Washington received 227,500, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention Web site.
SVH received about 300 doses of the H1N1 FluMist, a vaccine in the form of a nasal spray. SVH Medical Director Dr. Kim Witkop said she expected vaccines in flu-shot form would arrive in a few weeks and would be available to the public.
The two types of vaccination are best for different people.
Those who are healthy and ages 2 to 49 are good candidates for FluMist, a nasal spray containing a weakened, live-virus vaccine. The virus is “just still alive enough so the body can form antibodies, but not alive enough to infect,” SVH nurse Karen LaJambe said.
People who receive the H1N1 FluMist vaccine may experience runny nose, nasal congestion, cough, fever, headaches, muscle aches or wheezing.
Pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions should get the H1N1 flu shot. Flu shots contain a dead form of the virus, which cannot infect patients but will help their bodies make antibodies against H1N1. The shot also contains trace amounts of thimerosal, a mercury containing preservative. Some people have suggested thimerosal might be related to autism, but many studies have found no association between thimerosal and autism, according to the CDC.
Some who get the shot may experience soreness from the shot, head or muscle aches, fever or nausea for one to two days.
People interested in receiving the vaccine should contact their physician. Seattle and King County Public Health will give about five percent of its H1N1 vaccine supply to county residents under age 65 who are uninsured or don’t have a regular health care provider. Those with significant health problems, pregnant women and caregivers of babies under six months old will be first priority for getting vaccinated by Public Health.
When more vaccines become available, guidelines issued by the CDC advise the following people to get the vaccine: pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, healthcare and emergency medical services personnel, persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, and people ages of 25 through 64 who are at higher risk because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems. People ages 10 or older will only need one dose of H1N1 vaccine, while those younger will need two, according to the CDC Web site.
H1N1 caught the attention of healthcare officials in April, when the respiratory illness spread from pigs to humans. People can catch the virus from other infected people, but not from eating pork.
Greer encouraged others to get the vaccine when it’s available.
“You got to do it now,” Greer said. “If you don’t, you’ll regret it later.”
How can I protect myself?
- To avoid H1N1, thoroughly wash your hands, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or the crook of your elbow when you sneeze, and avoid contact with people who have flu-like symptoms.
- Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and vomiting.
- To learn more, visit www.cdc.gov or www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health.aspx.
Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention
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