October 6, 2009
The first doses of the pandemic H1N1 vaccine are starting to arrive for distribution in Pennsylvania. The earliest shipments will be the live attenuated intranasal vaccine, Flumist. In view of the restricted age group for this vaccine (2-49 years) as well as issues re state of health (exclusions in young children with asthma), the state has decided to first target school children ages 5-9 along with college students. This will quickly change in the coming weeks as deliveries arrive of the injectable vaccine.
SENIORS: Older Americans are wondering if they've been forgotten in all the discussion of the pandemic as well as the vaccine. When we talk of seasonal flu, the elderly are a major target of the immunization efforts. With pandemic flu, the average age of illness has been 12, the average age of hospitalization has been 20 and the average age of death has been 37. Fewer than 1% of cases have been in patients over the age of 60 (though their rates of complications or death are higher due to pre-existing health issues). It would appear that a large majority of seniors have had prior exposure to a variant of this virus which is making them less susceptible. Regardless, the vaccine will be available for seniors but, yes, we are at the back of the line for the moment.
Mark M. Blatter, M.D.
Medical Director
Primary Physicians Research