Chapel Hill Pediatrics and Adolescent, P.A.

H1N1 Flu and Seasonal Flu

Updated on Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

(Flu Vaccine Clinics are only for children who are current patients of

Chapel Hill Pediatrics and Adolescents, PA.)

The demand for Flu Vaccines has significantly decreased. We will not be holding any further Flu Vaccine Clinics unless the demand for Flu Vaccines increases. You may schedule a nurse appointment to receive the flu vaccine or you may ask your nurse or your doctor at your next regularly scheduled office appointment.

*Please note: There must be at least 4 weeks between the Seasonal Flu Mist and the

H1N1 Flu Mist! *

No space is needed between the Seasonal Flu Shot and the H1N1 Shot.

No space is needed between H1N1 Mist and the Seasonal Flu Shot.

No space is needed between the Seasonal Flu Mist and the H1N1 Shot.

Below are some highlights of the H1N1 Influenza and

Seasonal Influenza:

Seasonal Flu Vaccine:

- It is important to remember that Seasonal Influenza does not peak until mid to late winter. Our goal is to provide Seasonal Flu Vaccine to ALL of our patients ages 6 months and up before the regular Flu Season hits.

- We are now scheduling “flu vaccine only” Nurse appointments.

- ALL of the Seasonal Flu Vaccine that Chapel Hill Pediatrics offers is preservative/thimerosal free. Chapel Hill Pediatrics receives the majority of our Seasonal Flu Vaccine from the State of North Carolina's Immunization Program. The major drug store chains and grocery stores are able to offer mass quantities of flu vaccine because they order millions of doses directly from the vaccine manufacturer. But the vaccine that they offer likely comes from multi-dose vials that contain thimerosal.

- All children ages 6 months through 18 years are eligible and encouraged to receive a SEASONAL Flu vaccine free of charge from the North Carolina state vaccine program

- Chapel Hill Pediatrics and Adolescents, PA (CHPA) will have Seasonal Flu vaccine to administer to our patients who are over 18 years of age. We suggest that you check with your insurance company regarding coverage of the vaccine prior to making an appointment.

H1N1/Swine Flu Vaccine: The H1N1 Flu vaccine that is being produced by pharmaceutical companies is actually owned by the U.S. government and decisions around distribution and administration of this vaccine will be made entirely the U.S. government. Pediatric practices cannot place orders for the H1N1 Flu vaccine. The best source of information regarding the H1N1 Flu vaccine is the CDC website, http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.

- We do not know how much H1N1 Flu vaccine will be given to CHPA. CHPA has offered to administer the H1N1 vaccine according to CDC guidelines.

*See our "FAQ" section (Click on "Patient Education") for answers to questions about the 2009 H1N1 Vaccine*

- There is NO evidence that the Seasonal Flu vaccine protects against H1N1 Flu.

- CHPA does not have the capability to test specifically for H1N1 Flu. We can only determine if your child has Influenza Type A or Influenza Type B. H1N1 is in the Flu A Category of influenza viruses. While we can deduce that your child most likely has H1N1 based on what is circulating in the community, we cannot confirm a diagnosis of H1N1.

The CDC has provided guidelines for treating patients with the flu.

- Flu-like symptoms include sudden onset of fever, headache, fatigue, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and muscle aches.

- The symptoms are very similar for both Seasonal Flu and H1N1 Flu.

- H1N1 Flu is in the Flu A category. It is not necessarily worse than Seasonal Flu, it’s just a new form of the flu virus that we are still learning about.

- If your child is normally healthy with no chronic health conditions, generally it is best to treat flu-like symptoms at home with fever-reducing medicine, plenty of fluids and rest. This is true if it’s Seasonal Flu OR H1N1 Flu. Healthy patients with uncomplicated illness need not be treated with anti-viral medications (e.g. Tamiflu™) and such treatment is not recommended by the CDC or the World Health Organization (WHO).

- The CDC and the Health Departments do NOT recommend giving anti-viral medications to treat either type of flu in otherwise healthy children and adults. This helps prevent the virus from becoming resistant to anti-viral medications.

- It is CHPA office policy to follow CDC guidelines for administering anti-viral medications. For otherwise healthy children (i.e., children without chronic medical conditions), the CDC does not recommend trying to prevent the flu by taking anti-viral medications after exposure.

- It is also CHPA office policy to see patients at an appointment before prescribing anti-viral medications for flu-like symptoms.

- If you are sick with flu-like symptoms, the CDC recommends that you stay home from school or work until you have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever- reducing medications.

* See the links below for more information on H1N1 and Seasonal Flu and how to treat these viruses.