Durham County Health Department

DURHAM -- Novel H1N1 has become a household name. Since the new flu surfaced in April, residents have become increasingly interested in receiving the vaccination to combat the virus. The vaccination for H1N1 will be available in two different forms including a nasal spray and an injection.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that the injectable vaccines be administered to people at higher risk for complications from the flu, or those who are in contact with high risk people. High risk people include pregnant women, people who live with or provide care for infants six months of age of younger, healthcare and emergency services personnel, those aged six months to 24 years of age, and residents 25-64 years of age who have certain chronic medical conditions.

The Durham County Health Department has received a small shipment of H1N1 influenza nasal spray vaccines that can be given to nonpregnant people 2 to 49 years of age who do not have certain medical conditions. Considering the target priority groups identified above, nasal spray H1N1 vaccines are mainly for healthy children and young adults. DCHD will distribute initial doses of the nasal spray vaccine to healthcare providers in the community who did not receive H1N1 vaccines directly from the state. When more vaccines become available, DCHD will provide H1N1 vaccines to children in the Durham County Public School System. Later this fall, DCHD will also host several mass vaccination clinics until the vaccination is gone.

Residents who fall in one of the aforementioned categories should contact their primary care provider for questions regarding vaccine availability. Large health care providers are among the first to receive H1N1 vaccines directly from the North Carolina Division of Public Health. At this time, the exact type, and number of vaccines to be delivered is unclear.

Updates regarding H1N1 vaccines, mass vaccination clinics, and school clinics to be hosted by the DCHD will be found on the DCHD website in the near future, and on the H1N1 Vaccine Information Line at (919) 560-7882. For additional information about the H1N1 vaccine, residents are advised to visit the CDC Web site.