The Food and Drug Administration approved the H1N1 vaccine this week, with the first shipments scheduled to arrive in early to mid-October.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourage everyone to get vaccinated for both H1N1 and seasonal influenza.

“Student Health has already given 1000 doses of seasonal vaccine and is hopeful that the rest of our shipments should arrive over the next few weeks, so that all students who desire seasonal flu vaccination will be able to get that done before seasonal influenza begins to circulate widely,” Dr. Louise Hanson, the medical director for student health services wrote in an e-mail Thursday morning. “I would strongly recommend that students receive both the seasonal and the H1N1 vaccinations. We are optimistic at this point that our supplies for both vaccines will be adequate to vaccinate all students who desire vaccination.”

Dr. William Schaffner, chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine, also urged that all students get vaccinated for both viruses and expressed his satisfaction with the vaccine trial process and FDA approval.

“We’re all pleased that FDA has licensed the H1N1 vaccine and are especially pleased that young adults will require only a single administration (inoculation or nasal spray). That should help us protect more people, faster,” he said. Many health officials had thought that the vaccine would be a two-shot process.

“The Vanderbilt H1N1 vaccine trials have been going very well and the vaccine has caused very few, if any, adverse reactions,” he said. “The vaccine should be very effective because the H1N1 virus has remained genetically stable. Thus, the vaccine ought to match the circulating virus very accurately and be maximally effective.”

Influenza is most harmful to those who have compromised immune systems or are otherwise considered “high risk.” That also includes those with diabetes and asthma.
H1N1 is expected to remain prevalent throughout the flu season, which typically ends in late March.