H1N1 vaccine: The basics

A little Q&A from the CDC, to be posted on the Emerging Infections Network listserve shortly, is posted below. See this link for more details from CDC on H1N1 vaccine safety, and in case you missed it, check out this NY Times piece that nicely outlines the challenges associated with monitoring for adverse events during this massive vaccine rollout.

Looking at the CDC's web site it looks like vaccine distribution has been pushed back to mid November; is that correct? Planners should assume shipping of vaccine will begin in early October.

What dose of antigen (15 or 30 micrograms) will be used? 15 micrograms

Will an adjuvant be utilized? No. According to current federal plans, only unadjuvanted vaccines will be used in the United States during the 2009-2010 flu season. This includes all of the 2009 H1N1 and seasonal influenza vaccines that will be available for children and adults in both the injectable and nasal spray formulations. None of these influenza vaccines will contain adjuvants.

2009 H1N1 vaccines with adjuvants are being studied to determine if they are safe and effective. Experts will review these data when they are available. There is no plan at this time to recommend a 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine with an adjuvant.

There are 5 companies that are under contract to provide the vaccine. Are they all using the same seed virus? Yes, they all use the same master seed strains.