Swine flu vaccine arrives on Tuesday, fastest vaccine on record

The H1N1 swine flu vaccine will begin distribution across the United States on Tuesday, marking a record time for a new vaccine - from the initial identification of the virus to the vaccine hitting the market.

Scientists first discovered the new variety of the H1N1 swine flu virus just over 5 months ago, when the bug made an ugly appearance in Mexico - before moving quickly across the planet as the pandemic it has come to be known. This coming Tuesday, the first vaccinations will be shipped across the United States, a remarkably rapid turnaround - or, more accurately, a record time for a new vaccine. While speed was important in the face of a notably fast-moving pandemic, safety was also of utmost concern - and the swine flu vaccine production process went through considerably more rigorous steps to ensure the creation of a safe solution. "The H1N1 pandemic flu vaccine is made exactly the same way by the same manufacturers with the same processing, the same materials, as we make seasonal flu vaccine, which has an extraordinarily good safety record," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease, told NPR. In fact, clinical trials of the kind that the H1N1 swine flu vaccine was put through are not conducted on seasonal flu vaccine varieties. While there is some degree of discomfort and unease over the notion of adherence to vaccination programs, there is also a good deal of apathy among Americans. Given this, the U.S. government will institute a broad campaign to alert the public to the existence of the vaccine and provide answers and reassurance on the overall need to protect themselves from this unusual virus.