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CDC: H1N1 vaccine forthcoming

Category: Infectious Diseases

Amidst steady concern over the spread of the H1N1 virus, U.S. health officials expect a vaccine to become available in the first week of October.

Representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that more than 3 million doses of an inhalable swine flu vaccine would be on hand within several weeks, CNN Health reports. Officials expect that an undisclosed amount of flu shots will be available in early October as well.

The doses of the vaccine, which is marketed by FluMist in the U.S., are the first of 195 million that government bought from five different manufacturers.

Dr Jay Butler, head of the H1N1 Vaccine Task Force at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the news source, "Our goal is to ultimately make the vaccine available to every American who wishes to be vaccinated." He added, "The vaccine demand is hard to predict."
The inhalable vaccine is approved for individuals between the ages of 2 and 49 who are in good health. The vaccine is not approved for pregnant women.

The CDC identifies young children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those who have chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, hepatic, hematological, neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders as high risk groups.