By Julie Stachowiak, PhD
Multiple Sclerosis Guide; Guest blogger
Just a day or two after getting the (potentially) great news that we may only need one dose of the vaccine to be protected, epidemiologists are saying that that might not be an important factor anymore. That’s because the first 45 million doses of vaccine are expected to ship October 15th, but it looks like swine flu (H1N1) might gain quite a bit of ground before the vaccine can get to where it needs to be, get injected into people, and have a chance to confer immunity (which takes a little over a week after getting the vaccine). Plus, these same experts (and others) are saying that 70% of the US population will have to be vaccinated in order to stave off an epidemic in this country, and the vaccine delivery schedule is not anywhere near those levels within the predicted timeline of when the incidence of H1N1 might peak.
In fact, it is looking like swine flu is already at very high levels in 11 states, with much of the rest of the country expected to follow within the next month, probably peaking in late October - meaning that with all of the logistics mentioned above, it looks like the vaccine might be just three to four weeks too late for the majority of people who are at risk.
So, what can we do in this situation? First of all, don’t panic (and don’t talk to any friends or relatives that want to paint a picture of complete global destruction from this flu). Follow standard measures to prevent infection (wash hands, avoid sick people, etc.) and seek medical help if you experience symptoms of the flu.
Planning ahead for getting the flu could reduce stress later and give you peace of mind now. For concrete ideas on how to do this, check out this article: How to Plan and Prepare for the H1N1 Swine Flu
