Then one of my lab partners said that he got the H1N1 vaccine. I was like "um, no you didn't. it dosen't come out for a few weeks". Adamantly, he told me that the school nurse told him that his seasonal flu shot included H1N1.
I started to question myself, because I know this guy to be pretty on top of things... so I went home to look it up. Sure enough, the H1N1 vaccine just got FDA approval this week, and it isn't expected to be on the market until mid-October. This scenario really ticked me off, though. If nurses in a damn good MED SCHOOL are telling students they are covered for H1N1, then who knows what the average Joe has been told.
The straight dope is this.... (by the way, I really like this phrase and I'll throw it in whenever I can)...
There is always a seasonal vaccine for the common annual flu that goes around. Thats your normal "flu shot". That is totally different than the H1N1 vaccine, which is developed specifically for the H1N1 strain. If you want to be protected against the common flu as well as H1N1, you'll have to get both shots. The common flu shot is available now... but you'll have to wait until October for the H1N1 vaccine.
As a sidenote... my opinion is that you should never be the first one to rush out and get a new vaccine (or medication for that matter). Clinical trials are great and dandy, and are highly regulated... but with government politics, mass media coverage, and H1N1 hype you don't know the type of pressure that vaccine developers are under to meet deadlines, etc. If you really want it, wait a few weeks to make sure they've worked out any kinks. I'm just saying.... as someone who's done a lot of clinical trials and participated in vaccine development, that's my opinion... take or leave it.
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