• Font Size    

KDKA Health Links

Read More Health News
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Kids May Need More Than One Dose Of H1N1 Vaccine

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +   
Nov 3, 2009 8:07 pm US/Eastern

Kids May Need More Than One Dose Of H1N1 Vaccine

Reporting
Dr. Maria Simbra
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― For groups at risk, how many immunizations against the H1N1 flu, do you need?

It all depends on who you are.

There's new information on the effectiveness of the H1N1 vaccine for people in high-risk groups.

Government officials say three weeks after getting a single shot, 92 percent of pregnant women built up adequate immunity to their H1N1 flu. Pregnant women are at risk for complications and death from the illness.

"Since the beginning of the vaccine trial, they've been following particularly pregnant women to see what their immune response is, and how adequate their antibody are after immunization," explains Dr. Andrew Sahud, an infectious diseases specialist at Allegheny General Hospital.

Antibodies are immune system proteins that help to specifically fight the swine flu.

Clinical trials confirm children 10 and younger need two immunizations to build up a good immune response against the virus.

"Children still have a relatively sort of immature immune system, and they just don't develop enough antibody response after one vaccine. That's true for regular seasonal flu, for those groups less than nine. So you get one dose then a month later you get your second booster dose," Dr. Sahud says.

But with vaccines in short supply, this might be easier said than done.

"I'm hopeful that there will be enough vaccine and people will let those who need to get it on a higher priority get that vaccine," Dr. Sahud says.

It's not clear what happens if the booster dose can't be given in a month. He says that will be closely watched and information will be collected on cases like this.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Featured Slideshows On KDKA.com

You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

Health

Top News Stories

© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.