Ten things about the Swine Flu Vaccine that parents of young children should know.
1. There is a vaccine available to protect against swine flu – this is the first pandemic for which we have offered vaccination to protect people.
2. The vaccine contains an inactivated form of the virus so it cannot give your child swine flu. It works by tricking the immune system into thinking it has been infected with the H1N1 swine flu virus so that it creates antibodies against it.
3. All children over six months and under five years are being offered the swine flu vaccine. There are particularly high hospital admission rates in under fives developing complications from the virus, and a very high proportion of those admitted to intensive care were generally healthy without other risk factors.
4. All other children over the age of five years who are in the seasonal flu clinical at risk groups are also being called for vaccination.
5. At-risk groups include children with chronic respiratory, heart, kidney and liver disease, chronic neurological disease, or diabetes. Those who live with children whose immune systems are compromised by a disease or treatment for a disease, such as cancer patients or those with HIV/AIDS are also being offered the vaccination.
6. The vaccine is not being offered to babies under six months old as there is insufficient evidence about the immune responses in children of this age, and also because it is so difficult to carry out vaccine trials with infants.
7. Possible complications from swine flu are pneumonia (an infection of the lungs), difficulty breathing and in the very worst cases, may even result in death. The common side effects of the vaccine are redness, soreness and swelling at the site of injection; fever; headache; or muscle aches. These symptoms are much milder than the flu itself and only last a day or so.
8. You can only be certain your child has had swine flu if it was confirmed by a laboratory test. Otherwise, they may have had normal flu or something else. Unless you know for sure, you should still have your child vaccinated if they are aged over six months and under five years, or if they are in one of the seasonal flu clinical at-risk groups.
9. The seasonal flu vaccination will not protect against swine flu. All children over the age of six months in the seasonal flu clinical at-risk group should also get the swine flu vaccine to ensure they are protected against both viruses and other flu strains in circulation.
10. If you have a child over six months and under five years of age, you will be contacted by your GP or local Health Board inviting you to go to an vaccination clinic or to make an appointment at their surgery – either by letter or in some instances by text or phone.
The swine flu pandemic is being closely monitored by the Scottish Government Health Directorate. You can visit www.nhs24.com for health information or www.scotland.gov.uk for general public information.
Alternatively, you can contact the Scottish Swine Flu Vaccination Helpline on 08000 28 28 16.
Scottish Government Health Directorate: H1N1/Swine Flu Vaccine
Myth Busters – for parents of young children
Myth: Swine flu isn’t that serious for children over six months and under five so there’s no need to get them vaccinated.
Swine flu causes mild symptoms in most people, generally lasting for about a week, but children under the age of five are more likely to be seriously ill if they develop complications from swine flu. As a consequence, there are particularly high hospital admission rates in the under-fives and a very high proportion of those children admitted to intensive care are otherwise healthy without other risk factors.
Myth: The vaccine hasn’t been properly tested and isn’t safe for children aged over six months and under five years.
The vaccines have been licensed for use in children over the age of six months by the European authorities and would not have been if they were considered unsafe.
Scientific evidence from trials suggest the risk of a serious reaction is extremely small – and far outweighed by the risk of a child under the age of five becoming seriously ill from the swine flu virus itself.
Myth: The vaccine isn’t safe for my child as it contains mercury.
The Pandemrix vaccine contains very small quantities of a preservative called thiomersal which contains ethylmercury. This is different to the type of mercury that may be toxic in the diet or the environment (called methylmercury). Ethylmercury is excreted quickly and does not accumulate. Thiomersal has been used in vaccines for over 60 years to prevent bacterial contamination and in 2003, the Committee on Safety of Medicines concluded there is no evidence of neurological adverse effects caused by thiomersal in vaccines.
Myth: The vaccine isn’t safe for children who have an egg allergy.
There are two types of vaccine to protect against swine flu, one of which – Celvapan manufactured by Baxter – has been especially created without the use of hens’ eggs. This vaccine is safe for use in children with a severe allergic reaction to egg products.
Myth: The vaccine will give my child swine flu.
The vaccine does not carry a ‘live’ virus, so it cannot give swine flu to the child being vaccinated. Some children may experience mild symptoms like fever, headache and muscle aches as their immune system responds to the vaccine, but this is not flu and will usually disappear in a day or so.
Myth: My child isn’t six months old yet, but I should get them vaccinated anyway.
The vaccine is not being offered to babies under six months old as there is insufficient evidence about the immune responses in children of this age, and it is difficult to carry out vaccine trials with infants.
Myth: There’s no need for my child aged over six months and under five to get the vaccine if I think they’ve already had swine flu.
Unless a case of swine flu has been confirmed by a laboratory test, people cannot be certain that their child has had the disease, or that they will be protected if the virus mutates. Parents are therefore recommended to have their child vaccinated if the child is aged over six months and under five years, or is in one of the seasonal flu clinical at-risk groups.
Myth: If a child has had the seasonal flu jab, they don’t need the swine flu vaccine.
The seasonal flu vaccination will not protect against swine flu. All children aged over six months in the seasonal flu clinical at-risk group should also get the swine flu vaccine to ensure they are protected against both viruses as well as other flu strains in circulation.
Myth: Children need to stay at home after receiving the vaccine.
Those receiving the vaccination can return to their normal routine straight after the vaccination or in between doses if two are required. As the vaccines do not contain a live virus they do not make a child infectious.
Myth: If a child aged over six months and under five years doesn’t usually catch the flu, they won’t catch swine flu.
Swine flu is caused by a new strain of the influenza virus called H1N1. Because it is a new type of flu virus, no one has immunity to it and every one could be at risk of catching and spreading it.
