Why the H1N1 vaccine is safe

This is a guest blog by Dr. Jeffrey Kahn, Director of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Children’s Medical Center.

It seems the only thing spreading faster than the H1N1 flu right now is the hype and misinformation about the H1N1 vaccine. According to some polls, many parents are saying they aren’t going to get their kids vaccinated for fear of the vaccine’s safety.

While I understand parents’ natural inclination to avoid putting their children in jeopardy, I could not disagree more with such a decision. The H1N1 vaccine is safe, and parents — particularly here in the Southwest, which has had a higher percentage of flu-like illnesses reported than anywhere else in the country — may run a real risk of harm to their children by not having them vaccinated.

Here’s the deal

For the vast majority of the population, getting the swine flu is like getting a mild form of the seasonal flu. It’s no picnic, but it generally runs its course in less than a week with the worst of it lasting only 2-3 days. Only a tiny percentage of cases ever become life-threatening.

What’s been statistically unusual about H1N1, however, is the disproportionately high percentage of patients under the age of 24 who’ve been infected. This is not typical of the “regular” seasonal flu, which is why I think it is important for parents not to take chances.

About the H1N1 vaccine

The H1N1 vaccine has been tested in thousands of volunteers in clinical trials for safety and efficacy. If you’re one of the hundreds of millions of Americans who have received a seasonal flu shot in the past and had no problems, there is the highest probability that you won’t have any problems with the H1N1 vaccine, either. In fact, the H1N1 vaccine is produced in exactly the same manner as the seasonal flu vaccines. The CDC has more information on the vaccine’s safety here.

There still are some people who should not get any flu vaccine, either seasonal or H1N1, without consulting their doctor, including children under 6 months of age, people who are allergic to eggs or who’ve had a bad reaction to a previous flu shot.

About vaccinations in general

In 1952, more than 58,000 people were stricken with polio in the United States. More than 3,100 died and tens of thousands more were disabled that year. It was the worst epidemic in the nation’s history — until a vaccine was developed to stop it. Just think how different things would be today if one-third of all parents had refused to vaccinate their children then.

Simply put, no government program in our history has had a more profound and positive impact on public health and welfare than routine immunizations. Today, polio has been all but eliminated. Smallpox has been eradicated. Cases of measles, mumps, pertussis, diphtheria — all dreadful illnesses once thought to be an unfortunate-but-common fact of life in America — have been reduced to all-time lows.

Routine vaccinations are, and continue to be, the most proven, effective way to prevent disease and improve public health.

Stay healthy, and be well.