Panvax®H1N1 vaccine and seasonal flu vaccine
Will CSL include the pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza strain into the seasonal flu vaccine in 2010?
Yes. Following the TGA acceptance of the WHO recommendation for the Southern Hemisphere influenza vaccine for 2010, the following strains will be included in the CSL seasonal 2010 flu vaccine:
| | — an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus;
— an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus;
— a B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus. |
Do I need to get the seasonal vaccine if I have had the Pandemic vaccine?
Even if you have already had the pandemic H1N1 2009 vaccine, it is still recommended that you have the seasonal vaccine as you will get additional protection against the other two new flu strains. These strains can also cause complications from influenza.
Is it safe to have two doses of the Pandemic H1N1 strain in a short period of time?
Yes. In the clinical trial designed to determine the dose needed for the pandemic (H1N1) vaccine two doses of the vaccine were given 21 days apart. Half the people in the study received 2 doses of 15mcg of antigen (the standard antigen dose), and half received 2 doses of 30mcg of antigen, twice the standard dose. The safety and tolerability profile of Panvax® H1N1 vaccine was similar to that observed with seasonal influenza vaccines.
In addition two doses of influenza vaccine are routinely recommended for children under 9 years of age with no prior exposure to influenza vaccination. Evidence shows that without previous exposure children need two doses, a month apart, to optimise their immune response.
Will people still need to be vaccinated against ordinary seasonal flu?
People should continue to receive the ordinary seasonal influenza vaccine according to current recommendations.
Will I be protected from ordinary seasonal flu if I get vaccinated with Panvax®H1N1?Even if you get vaccinated with Panvax
®H1N1 vaccine, you might still get infected with seasonal flu, or coughs and colds caused by other respiratory viruses, since these are caused by different strains to what is contained in the pandemic vaccine.
Are there additional adverse events associated with having two flu vaccines in one season?The annual seasonal influenza vaccine is often given at the same time as other routine vaccines. There is no reason to expect that it would not be safe to receive both the seasonal influenza vaccine and Panvax
®H1N1 vaccine in one season.
