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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >> Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during the press conference that people can get both their seasonal flu shot and their H1N1 shot at the same time.
"We are pleased to report that the vaccines when given simultaneously do not impair the immune response to either of the vaccines," he said.
The first doses of the H1N1 vaccine were distributed this week in the form of a nasal spray called FluMist. While FluMist is effective, it's recommended only for people 2 to 49 years of age who are healthy and are not pregnant.
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The first doses of injectable vaccine are expected to ship next week, Schuchat said. Those who should be first in line include health-care workers, pregnant women, children, and people who care for infants, according to the CDC.
Right now, 6.8 million doses of H1N1 vaccine are available, Schuchat said. The CDC expects to have 40 million doses available by the end of the month and 190 million doses by the end of the year.
Schuchat reiterated that the H1N1 vaccine is safe and made in the same way as regular flu vaccine. "In future years this same particular [H1N1] virus might be in the seasonal flu vaccines that we offer," she said.
So far, 77 million doses of seasonal flu vaccine have been distributed, Schuchat said, adding that the vaccine has been in short supply in some areas. "There is time to get the regular flu vaccine, and more is coming out regularly," she said.
Fauci updated results from two H1N1 clinical trials, which confirmed that a single dose is sufficient to produce an adequate immune response in healthy adults. A second dose did not substantially enhance the immune response, he said.
"This confirms the concept that a single dose of 15 micrograms is sufficient to induce a robust response that you would predict would be protective," he said.
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