If enough vaccine is available, many groups of people will be encouraged to get it. One type of swine flu vaccine is even being manufactured that is not made with eggs, so people with egg allergies may be able to request this type.
High-risk groups will receive the vaccine first. These groups are different than with seasonal flu and include in order of risk:
- Healthcare workers
- Pregnant women
- Those over 6 months with certain chronic medical issues
- Healthy people aged 15 to 49
- Healthy children
- Healthy adults aged 50 to 64
- Healthy adults aged 65 and up
Adults and children over age 10 will only need one dose of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. Children between 6 months and 10 years will need two doses separated by a minimum of 21 days.
Because most of the seasonal flu vaccines had already been developed and were being produced when the swine flu turned into a pandemic, there will be two separate vaccines -- one to fight the seasonal flu and one to fight the pandemic swine flu. It is likely that both types of flu virus will be circulating during flu season, so both vaccines will be necessary to prevent the flu.
While you will still most likely be able to get the swine flu vaccine from your doctor and other typical flu clinic locations, additional vaccine clinics will likely be set up at places such as schools, grocery stores and shopping malls to make sure the vaccine is available to everyone who needs it.
Source:
"WHO Recommendation on Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Vaccines." Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Briefing Note 2 13 Jul 09. Global Alert and Response. World Health Organization. 15 Jul 09.
