Medical News

On this page are links and information concerning current medical news of interest to children and their parents.

2009 H1N1 (“Swine”) Flu Infection

• The US Government operates the website PandemicFlu.gov, which is a nice and practical information resource on 2009 H1N1 (“swine”) flu and avian flu.
• The US Centers for Disease Control offers information on 2009 H1N1 infection here.
• The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has published a public health fact sheet on 2009 H1N1 flu here.
• Swine (2009 H1N1) flu continues to predominate in the US and nationally. There has been very little “seasonal” flu so far. For a graph showing how much of any currently circulating flu is swine versus “seasonal,” see the CDC’s latest world map here.

2009 H1N1 (“Swine”) Flu Vaccine

Links to this season’s flu vaccine package inserts (for ingredients, go to the end of section 11 of each one):

• Mecury-free seasonal flu shots (killed virus) here;
• Seasonal flu nasal spray (live but weakened virus) here;
• 2009 H1N1 flu shots (killed virus) from Novartis for kids from age 4 here;
• 2009 H1N1 flu shots (killed virus, some mercury-free and some containing mercury) from Sanofi Pasteur here;
• 2009 H1N1 flu nasal spray (live but weakened virus) from Medimmune here.

As of December 23rd, no H1N1 or seasonal flu vaccine lots supplied by my practice have been recalled for any reason.

As of February 22nd, my practice has the following flu vaccines available:

• Seasonal flu—Sanofi Pasteur mercury-free shots for ages 6 months through 35 months and 3 years and up; Sanofi Pasteur’s mercury-containing shots; mercury- and adjuvant-free live nasal spray vaccine (“Flumist”) from MedImmune;
• 2009 H1N1 flu—Medimmune live nasal spray vaccine for ages 2 years to 18 years.

We now have excess H1N1 vaccine and for parents and other close relatives of practice patients wishing to be vaccinated, so we can offer Sanofi Pasteur’s mercury-containing shots (killed virus) for a small fee. We prefer to give these either at the time of the practice patient’s visit, or on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday afternoons. Depending on office hours and staff availability, we can sometimes give relatives vaccines on Saturday mornings, too.

Some schools are offering the 2009 H1N1 vaccine. Please update us if your child receives a vaccine at school, and tell us which one it was.

We do not know when or if we will get more swine flu shots free of mercury.

Also see the Frequently Asked Questions section of this web-site for more about Flu and Flu vaccinations.