Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center

121 Linden

P.O. Box 1839

Cape Girardeau, MO 63702 - 1839

Phone (573) 335-7846      Fax (573) 335-5909

October 16, 2009

 

Parents and Guardians of Cape Girardeau School District

Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center is working with your school to provide H1N1 Influenza vaccinations beginning on October 27th.  Due to a very small amount of vaccine, both intra nasal and injectable, we will start with grades K &1 in each school district, then in the next few weeks, as vaccine arrives gradually work our way through grade 12

The purpose of this letter is to proactively address widespread questions about the intra nasal H1N1 vaccine you may have heard.

The intra nasal H1N1 vaccine is quite safe, does not give a person the flu, The ONLY people who should not get the intranasal vaccine are those younger than 2 years, older than 50 years, or who have chronic serious health conditions that effects the immune system.  A healthy, non pregnant person age 2 years through age 49 years may take the intra nasal quite safely.  The only instance a healthy person should not consider the live intra nasal vaccine is if there is a seriously immune -suppressed person living with them such as a bone marrow transplant or person on chemo therapy.  It is an effective, easy way to take vaccine.  Some are doubtful of it because it is a live virus.  While it is a live virus, it is an extremely weakened version of the virus.  It is made the very same way the regular seasonal influenza vaccine is made, and in fact, if the H1N1 virus had presented itself just a little earlier in the “flu season ball game” it would have been included in this years influenza vaccine.

The Health Department has received twice as much intra nasal live vaccine as the injectable killed virus vaccine. Health professionals are concerned if individuals take only the killed virus vaccine, children with health problems that prevent them from taking the live virus vaccine will be left unvaccinated.

We will be offering both vaccines.  We are asking that you make an informed decision for the type of vaccine your child receives, and whenever possible the intranasal vaccine will be used as the vaccine of choice for healthy children.

Respectfully,

Charlotte Craig

Director

Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer Agency

Service Provided on a Nondiscriminatory Basis