As a parent, my first thought about the H1N1 flu vaccine was should Scarlet and Conner get it. The answer seems to be yes.

Here’s a quote from the CDC on who should get the vaccine:

…pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, healthcare and emergency medical services personnel, persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, and people ages of 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

It’s a bit buried but “persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old” means that Scarlet and Conner fall in that group and are recommended to get the H1N1 vaccine.

My next question was which vaccine should they get? There are two types: a shot and a nasal spray. From what I can find out, the shot is better because it is “inactivated”. It contains killed H1N1 virus so that you’re less likely to catch the flu from the vaccine itself. The shot does contain a preservative called thimerosal, a chemical some have suggested causes autism. Several studies have found no link between thimerosal and autism but I wanted to warn you that the concern is out there.

The nasal spray is better if, for example, you have a child who is terrified of needles. It also does not contain thimerosal if you want to avoid the whole autism link debate. The downside is that it contains some “live” H1N1 virus so you’re more likely to catch H1N1 from the vaccine. And there’s a bit of method involved. You need to breathe in as the nasal spray is fired. Some small children may not be able to follow those directions.

Next question is one shot or two? The CDC recommends children under 9 years old get 2 shots separated by a minimum of 21 days and ideally 4 weeks. Adults only need one shot.

Convinced? Now where and when do you get the shots? The when question is easier so I’ll start there. Flu season typically starts in November and goes through the following April so try to get flu vaccines by November. This, however, may be difficult since supplies of H1N1 flu vaccine are short. As of this writing, neither our local school or family pediatrician have received any H1N1 flu vaccine.

Remember that children also should get a regular flu vaccine as well. H1N1 isn’t the only flu virus going around. The CDC calls this the “seasonal flu vaccine”. Check with your doctor or local health department on where you can get the seasonal flu vaccine.

Final note: Is it H1N1 or Swine flu? The CDC says the correct name to use is H1N1. The explanation is better left to the CDC (read more at CDC):

This virus was originally referred to as “swine flu” because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs (swine) in North America. But further study has shown that this new virus is very different from what normally circulates in North American pigs. It has two genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia and bird (avian) genes and human genes. Scientists call this a “quadruple reassortant” virus.

I hope that helps the parents out there wondering the same things I am. Here’s hoping parents and children stay healthy this flu season.