Following approval by Health Canada regulators, the pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine will now be made available to British Columbians beginning the week of October 26, beginning with those who can benefit from the vaccine most – individuals under 65 years of age with chronic disease, pregnant women and individuals living in remote or isolated communities. It’s expected that all British Columbians who need and want the H1N1 vaccine will be able to receive at least one dose before Christmas. Preliminary studies suggest that, for adults, one dose of the vaccine will be sufficient.

This set of questions and answers, as well as the H1N1 web site (www.gov.bc.ca/h1n1), will be constantly updated as more information becomes available so be sure to check back frequently.

Q: Is the H1N1 flu vaccine safe?

Vaccine safety is a priority and clinical trials have been conducted on an international level to assess safety and effectiveness. Health Canada is confident of this vaccine’s health benefits and would not authorize a vaccine unless it had evidence that the benefits outweigh the risks.

All vaccines in Canada are subject to a strict authorization process. Many drugs are authorized based on clinical trials that are conducted elsewhere in the world but in accordance with the international standards of Good Clinical Practices. There are strict manufacturing and clinical practice standards in place in other jurisdictions so that Health Canada can have confidence in the trial results.

Q: Who should get the H1N1 flu vaccine?

All British Columbians who need and want the H1N1 vaccine will be able to receive at least one dose before Christmas. For adults, one dose of the vaccine will be sufficient while kids under 10 will need two doses.

Starting the week of Oct. 26, the people who will benefit most from pandemic H1N1 immunization, and who need and want to get vaccinated, will be able to receive that vaccine should they choose to do so. These groups include:

Persons under the age of 65 with chronic conditions.

Pregnant women.

Persons – including First Nations people – living in remote and isolated settings or communities.

People who fall into these groups AND for whom the seasonal flu vaccine is normally recommended will be able to receive both shots at the same time. People who do not fall into these groups are asked to put off receiving the H1N1 vaccine for a few weeks to allow those at most risk to get their vaccine first.

Starting the week of Nov. 2, the people eligible to receive the H1N1 vaccine will expand to include the following groups:

All initial groups.

Children 6 months to less than 5 years of age.

Health-care workers (including all health-care system workers involved with the pandemic response or delivery of essential health services).

Household contacts and care providers of infants less than 6 months of age, and persons who are immunocompromised.

People who fall into these groups AND for whom the seasonal flu vaccine is normally recommended will be able to receive both shots at the same time.

Beginning three or four weeks later, everyone else who needs and wants the H1N1 vaccine will be recommended to receive it. Public notification will happen at this time so that everyone is aware the vaccine is available to them.

Q: Should pregnant women receive the H1N1 flu vaccine?

With the approval by Health Canada regulators, the pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine will be made available to British Columbians beginning the week of October 26. The vaccine will be available first to those people who would benefit most from immunization, including pregnant women.

Pregnant women in the second half of pregnancy are among those at highest risk of severe outcomes from the pandemic H1N1 virus. Since B.C. is experiencing epidemic levels of the

H1N1 virus now, pregnant women in second half of pregnancy are advised not to wait until November for unadjuvanted vaccine, but to get immunized now with the adjuvanted version.

The pandemic H1N1 vaccine is an adjuvanted vaccine. Adjuvants are compounds that boost the immune system’s response to vaccine, allowing smaller doses to be used per person. A version of the H1N1 vaccine without adjuvant will also be available in B.C. beginning the second week of November.

While the unadjuvanted H1N1 vaccine is recommended for pregnant women, the adjuvanted version, available earlier next week, is approved for everyone who wants to protect themselves from this pandemic.

Q: Where can I get the H1N1 flu vaccine?

People will be able to get immunized at their doctor’s office, by a specially-trained pharmacist or at an immunization clinic set up especially to deliver the vaccine. As these clinic locations are confirmed, you can find them by using the Flu Clinic Locator at www.immunizebc.ca.

Q: Will I need to get one or two doses of the vaccine?

For adults, one dose of the vaccine is sufficient while kids under 10 years of age will still need two. The vaccine is not recommended for infants under 6 months old. Q: Should I get the H1N1 vaccine and the regular flu vaccine or only one?

After extensive consideration at the national level, B.C. and the Provincial Health Officer are recommending that those British Columbians who normally receive the seasonal flu vaccine now be able to receive that vaccine at the same time as their H1N1 shot.

When it is recommended that people get their H1N1 vaccine, if they are normally recommended to get the seasonal vaccine, they are encouraged to get it at that point.

For people considering only getting a seasonal flu shot, they are encouraged to speak with a doctor or their family physician beforehand to discuss the benefits and risks. This should include consideration of Canadian research that shows those who get the seasonal shot before the H1N1 shot may be twice as likely to contract H1N1.

Q: I was born in before 1957. Do I need the H1N1 flu vaccine?

While it appears as if people born before 1957 have a much lower risk of contracting the H1N1 flu virus, the H1N1 vaccine is still recommended for everyone who needs and wants it when it is available to them.

H1N1 clinics nearest to Lake Country will be held at Rutland Willow Park Church in Kelowna (439 Highway 33). Dates and times are Nov. 5, 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Nov. 6, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.