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Seasonal Vaccine Update
Updated September 06, 2011
THE FLU SHOTS ARE HERE!
We have received our Flu vaccines, both the shot and the mist. Please call our office to schedule an appointment.
H1N1 vaccine is included in the seasonal flu shot this year. This means only one shot, HURRAY!!!! We will also be able to offer the vaccine to parents and caregivers. The cost of the vaccine for parents and caregivers is $38.00, for either the Flu Mist or the Flu Shot.
Parents and caregivers of newborns and infants less than 6 months, please get your TdaP vaccines. There is a high incidence of whooping cough in California, and adults and teens are at a higher risk of getting whooping cough and passing it to the infants. As many of you may already know, we have lost 10 infants less than 6 months of age to this deadly bacterial infection in California. The last dose of this vaccine is given at age 11. Booster doses of the tetanus vaccine are required every 10 years. Please do your part in protecting infants.
To learn more about vaccinations, please read the
Vaccine Queries page.
Also, read the Influenza Vaccine Sections below.
SEASONAL INFLUENZA VACCINE
There are 2 forms of the vaccine, the Trivalent Influenza Vaccine (TIV) and the Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV). The "shot" or TIV is recommended for all children 6 months and above. It is also recommended for children with chronic illnesses like Asthma, Heart disease, Diabetes or any kind of immunodeficiency. The "nasal spray vaccine" or (LAIV) is recommended for healthy individuals 2 years to 49 years. Because the safety or effectiveness of LAIV has not been established in persons with underlying medical conditions that confer a higher risk for influenza complications, these persons should be vaccinated only with TIV.
Annual vaccinations are the most effective way to prevent the disease and its associated complications. Vaccination every year confers a broad range of immunity against the various strains of influenza, as the strains of viruses in the vaccine changes from year to year. All children below the age of 9 years will need 2 dose of the vaccine at least 1 month apart, the first year they are vaccinated. Subsequently they will need only one dose for the season.
It should be noted that there are four influenza antiviral agents that are licensed in the United States: amantadine, rimantadine, zanamivir, and oseltamivir. The human H1N1 virus (not the Swine type) has a 99% resistance to Tamiflu or Oseltamivir. This high incidence of resistance to the anti-viral medications necessitates us, as a practice, to require the immunization of all children against this disease. However, these are the requirements of the CDC:
- all children aged 6 months-4 years (59 months);
- all persons aged >= 50 years;
- children and adolescents (aged 6 months-18 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection;
- women who will be pregnant during the influenza season;
- adults and children who have chronic pulmonary (including asthma) or cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic, neurological/neuromuscular, hematologic, or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus);
- adults and children who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV); and
- Residents of nursing homes and other long-term-care facilities.
- HCP (Health care providers)
- household contacts (including children) and caregivers of children aged <= 59 months (i.e., aged <5 years) and adults aged >= 50 years; and
- Household contacts (including children) and caregivers of persons with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe complications from influenza.
Please call our office and schedule an appointment to receive the seasonal influenza vaccine.
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