The WHO issues new H1N1 vaccine recommendations

The World Health Organization (WHO) has modified their guidelines for battling the pandemic influenza virus. Children and pregnant women are two groups to benefit.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced modified guidelines for battling the pandemic influenza virus after the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization reviewed the current situation. Children require only one dose: The announcement is good news for young children between six months and 10 years of age who will no longer be required to have two vaccinations. This is also good news for parents who would have had to take these children to a second clinic. Adjuvented vaccine safe for pregnant woman: Expectant women can receive the adjuvented vaccine, commonly used in Canada, and are no longer are being asked to wait for the non-adjuvented product. In fact, the adjuvented vaccine may be a better option as it increases and broadens the immune response. If the flu strain changes, drifts, the adjuvented vaccine should continue to provide a measure of protection. Worldwide from 7 percent to 10 percent of all hospitalized patients are pregnant women in their second or third trimester of pregnancy. These women are ten times more likely to need intensive care than those in the general population. Inactivated H1N1 vaccine and seasonal flu vaccine can be co-administered: the vaccine commonly used in Canada is inactivated, it does not contain live H1N1 virus, and studies show no increased risk of adverse reactions when the two inactivated vaccines are administered one immediately following the other. SAGE acknowledged the recommendation, from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that live attenuated seasonal and live attenuated pandemic vaccines should not be co-administered. At least one vaccine must be inactivated for simultaneous vaccinations to be given. Vaccine safety: After vaccinating more than 700,000 people worldwide with H1N1 vaccine, early results show no indication of unusual adverse reactions following vaccination. The adverse events noted are well within the range of those seen every year with the seasonal vaccines. Monitoring for adverse events will continue.