When I had my regular seasonal fly shot last week I asked my doctor about the swine flu jab and he said I was in a priority group on more than one count. We have the vaccine in storage in the island, about 8,500 doses initially I think they said. We are just waiting for it to be licenced before they distribute it.
This is what it says on our government website about the vaccine.
Swine flu vaccine - questions and answers
WHO WILL GET THE VACCINE FIRST?
SAFETY AND SIDE-EFFECTS
GENERAL INFORMATION
PREGNANT WOMEN
WHO WILL GET THE VACCINE FIRST?
When will the swine flu vaccine become available?
We will start offering the vaccine as soon as possible after the vaccine is licensed and we have stock available. We anticipate the two vaccine brands will be licensed by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) by mid October. Licencing may be restricted pending further information, for instance in young children. Ministers have decided to vaccinate those at greatest risk first.
Who will be vaccinated in the first phase?
People who are most at risk from complications of swine flu need to be vaccinated first. These groups are, in order of priority:
* Pregnant women, subject to licensing and women who have recently had a baby. The European Medicines Agency, who license the vaccine, will indicate whether it can be given to all pregnant women or whether it should only be offered at certain stages of pregnancy
* People aged between six months and 65 years in clinical at-risk groups.
* People who live with those who are undergoing induction or consolidation chemotherapy for cancer and certain other severely compromised patients .
* People aged 65 and over in clinical at-risk groups.
Health care workers will also be offered the vaccine. They are both at an increased risk of catching swine flu and of spreading it to other at-risk patients A sustainable clinical force is needed to care for those with swine flu and other illnesses.
What are the clinical at-risk groups?
These are people with:
* chronic respiratory disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and people with asthma that require them to use continuous or repeated use of inhaled or systemic steroids or who have had previous exacerbations requiring hospital admission
* chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
* chronic kidney disease, such as kidney failure,
* chronic liver disease, such as chronic hepatitis,
* chronic neurological disease, such as Parkinson's disease,
* diabetes requiring insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs, and people with other choronic metabolic diseases
* immunosuppression (a suppressed immune system), due to disease or treatment
* Children and young people on long-term salicylate (aspirin) therapy
* People who are obese with a BMI of more than 40
Why are healthy people over 65 and children not a priority for the swine flu vaccine?
Healthy people aged over 65 appear to have some natural immunity to the swine flu virus. Although children are more affected by swine flu, the vast majority make a full recovery - therefore the experts do not advise that children (other than those in at-risk groups) should be vaccinated initially.
If I am in a priority group, is it compulsory to be vaccinated?
No, swine flu vaccination is voluntary. However, medical advisors strongly recommend everyone in an at-risk group to have it.
How do I know if I am in a priority group?
If you are in a high-risk group, your GP will write to you about getting a vaccine.
SAFETY AND SIDE-EFFECTS
Is the vaccine safe?
Licensed vaccines, including influenza vaccines, are held to a very high standard of safety. In preparing for a pandemic, clinical trials to assess safety and immune responses have been carried out on vaccines very similar to the swine flu vaccine and these have been shown to have a good safety profile.
The vaccine manufacturers are using the tried and tested processes that they use each year to make seasonal flu vaccines to produce swine flu vaccines.
Jersey will use the vaccines only after they have been licensed by the European authorities. The licence will be issued by the European Commission following advice from the European Medicines Agency. Vaccines would not be licensed if they were considered unsafe.
How has it been tested?
Stringent tests carried out at each stage of the vaccine’s development ensure that the process is working correctly and that the virus has been inactivated (killed). Extra tests are conducted on each batch of the vaccine and are verified by an independent laboratory within the Official Medicines Control Laboratory network.
Will the vaccine give me swine flu?
No. The vaccine does not carry a 'live' virus, so it cannot give you swine flu. Some people may experience mild fever up to 48 hours after immunisation as their immune system responds to the vaccine, but this is not flu.
How will it protect me from swine flu?
The most important role of vaccination is to protect individuals from the potentially serious effects of swine flu and the complications that may follow.
Why should I be vaccinated?
As this is a new virus, most people are susceptible to this infection. Currently in healthy people the virus most frequently causes mild disease.. However we have learnt from previous pandemics that viruses can change and can lead to more serious disease.
What are the side-effects?
As with most vaccines, the most common after effects are redness and swelling at the site of injection, a mild fever, general aches and pains, a rash and feeling tired. These will usually go away within a day or two. Vaccines may very rarely cause a serious allergic reaction. However, health professionals who administer vaccines are trained to manage this situation, even though it is very rare.
Is there a link between Guillain-Barre syndrome and swine flu vaccines?
Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder, was an identified risk with a swine flu vaccine used over 30 years ago in the United States (in 1976). It is thought that one extra case of GBS occurred with every 100,000 doses of vaccine. The reason why the 1976 vaccine increased the risk of GBS remains unknown.
Since 1976 the manufacturing processes for producing vaccines have advanced significantly and millions of seasonal flu vaccine doses have been produced and safely used each year. Many studies have looked at whether other flu vaccines used since 1976 carry a risk of GBS and no good evidence of a link has been found. Indeed recent research suggests no significant increase in risk after vaccination but a greater risk after natural influenza infection. –that is, vaccination may reduce the risk of GBS.
GBS has a number of different causes and can occur in a person who has never received an influenza vaccine.- 1-2 cases occur every year per 100,000 population.
Does the vaccine contain any porcine (pork) product?
One of the vaccine brands does not contain pork products. The manufacturing process for the other vaccine uses trypsin which is prepared from porcine pancreas glands and porcine gelatine however there are no detectable traces of these products in the vaccine.
Is the vaccine safe for people with an egg allergy?
One of the vaccines being developed (Baxter’s) does not use eggs in its production and therefore would be suitable for people who have a confirmed anaphylactic reaction to egg products. This vaccine would be used in this instance.
Individuals who have had a confirmed anaphylactic reaction to any component of vaccine and therefore cannot receive the vaccine are still able to receive antiviral treatment if they become infected with the flu virus.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Can the swine flu vaccine be given at the same time as other vaccines?
Yes. The swine flu vaccine can be given at the same time as other vaccines, including the seasonal flu jab.
I've already had swine flu - do I still need to be vaccinated?
You can only be certain that you have had swine flu if it was confirmed by a laboratory test. Otherwise, you may have had normal flu or something else. Unless you know for sure that you have had swine flu, and are in one of the high-risk groups, you should have the vaccination.
Will the vaccine still provide people with protection if the swine flu virus mutates between now and the autumn?
At this stage, it is impossible to predict if or how the H1N1 swine flu virus will mutate (change). However, experiences with the H5N1 bird flu aqnd other flu vaccines would suggest that an H1N1 vaccine would also provide a high level of immunity against closely related strains. The level of cross-protection is expected to be greatest for more closely related strains.
When will everyone else who isn't in a priority group receive the vaccine?
The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that the use of the vaccine in the wider healthy population should depend on how the pandemic evolves and on emerging clinical data on the use of the vaccine. This will be kept under review. We will take this advice, along with new information on delivery of vaccine supplies, into account before announcing further groups.
Where can I get the swine flu vaccine?
If you are in one of the priority groups to receive the vaccine, you will be contacted with further information as to where to attend for vaccination.
PREGNANT WOMEN
Why are pregnant women being offered the swine flu vaccination?
Pregnant women are more likely to catch swine flu and are also more likely to develop complications. This is because women’s immune systems are naturally suppressed during pregnancy. This continues for several months after the birth of the baby (known as the post partum period). To help protect pregnant women and women in the early post-partum period, they are being offered the vaccination ahead of other people who are considered at less risk.
Should I be worried if I am at such risk?
No, please don’t panic. Your immune system still works and most pregnant women will only have mild symptoms and will recover within a week. The risk of complications is small and the vaccine will help to reduce this risk.
How will I know if I catch swine flu?
If you are pregnant and you catch swine flu, the symptoms should be similar to those of regular flu. You will normally have a fever or high temperature (over 38°C/100.4°F) and at least two of the following:
* unusual tiredness
* headache
* runny nose
* sore throat
* shortness of breath or cough
* loss of appetite
* aching muscles
* diarrhoea or vomiting
What are the possible complications that can occur if a pregnant woman gets swine flu?
* pneumonia (an infection of the lungs)
* difficulty breathing
* dehydration
These are more likely to happen in the second and third trimester. If a pregnant woman develops a complication of swine flu, such as pneumonia, there is a small chance this could lead to premature labour or miscarriage. There still isn't enough information to know precisely how likely these birth risks are. It is therefore important to be well prepared, to take precautions against swine flu and to consider having the vaccination.
What precautions can I take to avoid catching swine flu?
If you're pregnant, you can reduce your risk of infection by avoiding unnecessary travel and avoiding crowds where possible. Pregnant women should also follow the general advice outlined below:
* Always covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing
* Disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully
* Maintaining good basic hygiene, for example washing your hands often with soap and warm water to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to face, or to other people
* Cleaning hard surfaces, such as door handles, often and thoroughly using a normal cleaning product.
Is the vaccine safe to give in pregnancy?
The swine flu vaccine will be licensed for use in pregnancy by the European Commission following advice from the European Medicines Agency. Vaccines would not be licensed if they were considered unsafe.
Who will give me the vaccine?
Qualified and trained nurses will administer the vaccine. Midwives have liaised with the immunisation nurses to advise on which women should be invited for vaccination. Midwives will also be available at the vaccination session. Please advise the nurse if you wish to speak to a midwife when you attend for the vaccination.
If you have any questions, you can email the health department or call the helpline on 445566. Lines are open Monday–Friday from 8.30am to 5.30pm. If you have medical queries, please call your GP and not the helpline.
Page Last Updated: 02/10/2009
