At long last the H1N1 vaccine is available here in Cayman and we now have a supply here at the clinic. It has arrived at a time when the amount of flu in the USA and locally is at a low level, however the flu variety is not a seasonal one and it seem possible that it may come back later in the year. The concern is not so much the general illness which in most cases is an inconvenience but that some people have a vulnerability to get particularly sick. There is also the future possible concern of a drug resistant strain.
I have taken this list from the CDC website.
I would like to emphasise the risk of those with even mild respiratory disease such as mild asthma and women who might like to become pregnant in the next year.
Contraindications are similar to the normal flu vaccine eg egg allergies.
A lot of our patients have conditions in this list, so please call the office to make a time to come in.
Vaccines are free for all existing patients (or future ones!).
People at High Risk for Developing Flu-Related Complications
- Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
- Adults 65 years of age and older
- Pregnant women
People who have medical conditions including:
- Asthma
- Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions [including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve, and muscle such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy (seizure disorders), stroke, intellectual disability (mental retardation), moderate to severe developmental delay, muscular dystrophy, or spinal cord injury].
- Chronic lung disease (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD] and cystic fibrosis)
- Heart disease (such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease)
- Blood disorders (such as sickle cell disease)
- Endocrine disorders (such as diabetes mellitus)
- Kidney disorders
- Liver disorders
- Metabolic disorders (such as inherited metabolic disorders and mitochondrial disorders)
- Weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV or AIDS, or cancer, or those on chronic steroids)
- People younger than 19 years of age who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy
- People with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)