Rumors and realities: H1N1 vaccine myths dispelled
More rigorously tested than other flu vaccines
In response to rumors about the safety of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza A vaccine, federal public health officials have addressed the following myths and errors about the current situation:
Rumor: "This new vaccine is not safe and is untested."
Fact: Clinical trials conducted by the National Institutes of Health and the vaccine manufacturers have shown that the new H1N1 vaccine is both safe and effective. The FDA has licensed it. There have been no safety shortcuts. It is produced exactly the same way the seasonal flu vaccine is produced every year. It is simply a new virus strain. In fact, had H1N1 struck this country earlier than this spring, the H1N1 strain probably would have been included as part of this year's seasonal flu shot. Millions of Americans get the seasonal flu vaccine each year without any problems. Still, understanding that some Americans have concerns about "new" vaccines, the National Institutes of Health and the vaccine manufacturers have conducted more rigorous tests on the H1N1 vaccine than they do on other flu vaccines, and there have been no red flags from these clinical trials. Also, CDC has stepped up surveillance efforts to track the H1N1 vaccine and any possible adverse events. Since it is so closely related to the seasonal flu vaccine, we do not expect to see serious side effects. But we are taking all the necessary steps to promote and monitor safety. Our top doctors and scientists believe the risk of the flu, especially for pregnant women, children, and people with underlying health conditions, is higher than any risk that might come from the H1N1 vaccine.
Rumor: "I got an e-mail that tells the story of someone who got a flu shot and had a miscarriage two days later."
Fact: Tragically, every day in the U.S., people suffer from heart attacks, miscarriages, strokes, and other health-related events. Some result in serious illness, even death. For example, there are approximately 8,700 deaths from heart attack, 140 cases of Guillain-Barré, and 14,000 miscarriages in the U.S. every week. These events are no more common among people who have received seasonal flu vaccine than in people who have not. The CDC has received no reports of serious adverse events from people who have received the H1N1 vaccine to date in the clinical trials or in the few places across the country where vaccinations have begun. We have created a strong new surveillance system that will allow us to track adverse reactions and quickly analyze whether there is a link to the vaccine.
Rumor: "A 14-year-old girl in the United Kingdom died after being vaccinated with the human papillomavirus vaccine [HPV]."
Fact: British scientists report this particular event was unrelated to the HPV vaccine and definitely unrelated to the H1N1 flu vaccine. Public health officials in the UK have said the safety of the HPV vaccine was not in question, and no link can currently be made between the girl's death and the vaccine. According to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency — their counterpart to the FDA — the girl had a rare, serious, underlying medical condition that was likely to have caused her death. Licensed seasonal flu vaccines have a long track record of safety based on use in hundreds of millions of people. H1N1 vaccines are being manufactured by the same methods as the seasonal flu vaccines administered every year.
Rumor: "The federal government is running a mandatory vaccination campaign."
Fact: The federal government's vaccination program for H1N1 flu is VOLUNTARY. Some hospitals and localities are requiring that health care workers get vaccinated for the flu, but that is a local decision. HHS and the CDC have included health care workers as one of our top priority groups to receive the vaccine, and several places across the country began offering H1N1 vaccination to health care workers this week. The petition on a few selected Internet sites protesting the federal government's "mandatory" vaccination campaign is simply false in its claims. Vaccination is highly recommended as a protective measure against the flu, but is absolutely voluntary.
In response to rumors about the safety of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza A vaccine, federal public health officials have addressed the following myths and errors about the current situation:You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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