Please Wait: The H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine Pecking Order

Monday, October 26 2009

October 26, 2009

By Paul Briand, Journalist & Baby Boomer Expert

It used to be that older Baby Boomers and the elderly were at the front of the line when it came to flu vaccines.

But for the Swine Flu, these groups are bringing up the rear.

Swine Flu – officially the H1N1 flu – is making its way through the nation's population to the extent that President Barack Obama declared a national emergency.

A vaccine to combat the flu has been developed, but its deployment has caused concern, because it is getting out to clinics and doctors' offices at what many feel is a snail's pace compared to the rabbit pace of the flu's spread.

But in areas where the vaccine becomes available, it's women and children first, specifically pregnant women.

Guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on its H1N1 site advise that the priority for the vaccine should be given to health care workers, pregnant women, teens and children.

That's more good news than bad news, really, for older Americans. The older you are, according to the CDC, the less likely you are to get the H1N1 bug.

"Because there has been so little 2009 H1N1 illness in people 65 and older," said the CDC, "the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that CDC and immunization programs focus on getting the first doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine to those people who are more likely to get infected with the 2009 H1N1 flu virus."

That's not to say older Americans won't get the flu, it’s just that they are much less likely to contract H1N1 than the people most at risk.

So, if you're older and you don't have some underlying health complications, wait on getting your H1N1 vaccine. In the meantime, if you would like to be on the safe side in the case you or your family come down with the Swine Flu, AccessRx.com provides Tamiflu, which the CDC says is an effective treatment for H1N1.

For the seasonal flu, older Americans are as susceptible as ever, and they're advised to get that vaccine whenever and wherever it is available.

Everyone should be practicing everyday precautions against the flu:
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it
• Lacking a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
• Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Also see previous Swine Flu updates that AccessRx has provided.

About the Author

Paul Briand spent 33 years in newspaper journalism. Based in New Hampshire, he now writes about issues of interest to Baby Boomers.

Read more of Paul Briand's work for AccessRx.com here.

Read even more of Paul Briand’s published articles here.