Swine Flue

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Sebelius: Swine flu shots may start early October

WASHINGTON — The nation's health secretary says Americans could begin receiving swine flu vaccine shots as early as the first week of October — which is sooner than expected.

Kathleen Sebelius says the bulk of the vaccine is still scheduled for release nationwide by mid-October. But she says some early doses should begin rolling out sooner. She says the vaccine will be distributed directly to locations across the country and made available for immediate use.

Sebelius says she is confident the swine flue shots will be available soon enough to effectively target the illness. She says success of a one-shot dose for healthy adults and a 10-day immune response to the vaccine will help contain the spread of the flu.

Sebelius appeared on ABC's "This Week."

Source: AP

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H1N1 Vaccine Could be Ready Weeks Early
Beth Galvin 
Edited By: Leigha Baugham | myfoxatlanta.com
ATLANTA (MyFOX ATLANTA) - The country's top health officials said the swine flu vaccine could be ready two weeks earlier than expected. The news comes as Georgia posts its highest number of flu-related deaths since the outbreak first started in late April.

In the second week of September, the Georgia Department of Community Health said four Georgians died of complications from the H1N1 flu.

That's almost half the total number of deaths the state has recorded since the virus hit five months ago.

Health officials said there is some promising news, that the H1N1 vaccine could be ready early.

"As early as the first full week of October, we'll get the first doses out as quickly as they roll off the production line," said Kathleen Sibelius of Health and Human Services.

The country's top health officials said the swine flu vaccine could be ready two weeks earlier than expected.

"We're looking at likely one dose, and not two, for healthy adults. You'll have a lot more vaccine," said Sebelius.

"We're talking about a massive campaign for H1N1, massive, and we're talking about different targeted populations," said Dr. Rhonda Medows.

Georgia's top health officials said the state expects to receive its first two million doses of H1N1 in October. Dr. Medows said, while it's good to get it early, it would be better to have all the safety data before asking Georgians to roll up their sleeves.

"Safety, efficacy, dosing recommendations, will we really need to do a second dose for children, or not? When do we think immunity would kick in? All of those questions are still out there and still have to be answered for us," said Dr. Medows.

The H1N1 vaccine is still being studied in children and pregnant women and the first results are expected in the next couple of weeks.

Children 9-years-old and under usually need two seasonal flu shots so that may be the case with the H1N1 vaccine.

The virus continues to hit hard across Georgia. Between Sept. 3 and Sept. 10, 46 Georgians were hospitalized and four of them died. Those are the highest numbers yet since the outbreak started in April. In all, 238 Georgians have been hospitalized and nine have died because of flu complications.

Georgia health officials said they are working overtime, trying to determine how to the vaccine to high risk groups like children, young adults and pregnant women.

Health officials said they are considering school shot clinics and drive through vaccinations. DeKalb County's Dr. Susan Ford said in the meantime people should get their seasonal flu shot, which are now available.

"Part of the worry with H1N1, is that it's novel and it's new and 'where did this come from?' But the truth is seasonal flu kills 30 to 40,000 people in the U.S. a year. So it's still a big, big risk for us, and we don't want to minimize that while we continue this campaign for H1N1," said Dr. Ford.

A third flu vaccine manufacturer, Glaxo Smith Kline, announced Monday that the vaccine will work with just one dose.

Health officials expect to have 45 million doses of vaccine ready by mid-October. The first to get the flu shots will be the high risk groups: children, young adults, pregnant women, health care workers and people with chronic illnesses.

Source: http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/H1N1_Vaccine_Could_be_Ready_Weeks_Early_091409