H1N1 Joint Statement

Joint statement for Colorado’s children about the H1N1 vaccine
 

November 16, 2009

We understand many of your offices and clinics have received many calls from parents concerned about the H1N1 illness. Many parents also have questions about the H1N1 vaccine.

The Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition, the Colorado Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians have compiled these resources presenting the current facts on the H1N1 illness and vaccine. We are confident that this vaccine is safe and effective, and encourage you to share this information to those in your care. Especially for the high risk populations, full and timely H1N1 influenza vaccination will save lives.

The joint organizations believe:

1. The H1N1 vaccine is safe and provides flu protection. http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/vaccine_safety_qa.htm

• The vaccine is made in the same way as the seasonal flu vaccine - http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE59I5XB20091019
• The vaccine has a side-effect profile similar to previous influenza vaccines - http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/is-the-h1n1-swine-flu-vaccine-safe
• There has been no indication been no indication of severe adverse events with the 2009 H1N12009 H1N1 vaccine - http://nejm.highwire.org/cgi/reprint/NEJMoa0907413.pdf
• There is a robust vaccine-side effect reporting system in place - and it is being carefully assessed for signals for the safety of H1N1. http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/safety_planning.htm

2. Individuals from birth to age 24 are at an increased risk of contracting H1N1 influenza. http://www.flu.gov/individualfamily/parents/index.html#children

• H1N1 can be deadly for children. Most of the children who have died have had other health problems (such as asthma, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy) and 20 to 30 percent were otherwise healthy. http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/influenza/

3. We recommend that vaccine providers encourage all parents to get the H1N1 vaccine to:

• Children ages 6 months to 24 years
• Pregnant women
• Parents/caretakers for children younger than 6 months
• Health care workers with direct patient contact

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/vaccine_keyfacts.htm.

We understand that supplies of vaccine may be limited, but vaccine availability is changing on a continuous basis. We urge communication between the medical community and the public to facilitate the prompt vaccination of those at highest risk. As vaccine supplies increase, all individuals in risk groups and all others wishing to avoid influenza should be vaccinated.

4. Parents may need more information to make a decision about vaccinating their child. Send them to these trusted resources listed below. For great talking points for use with parents can be found in an article from the American Medical Association: “H1N1 vaccination of children can require reasoning with concerned parents” http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/10/12/prca1012.htm

• CDC website - www.Flu.gov
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment - www.colorado.gov/nofluforyou
• Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition – http://www.childrensimmunization.org/flu

5. Parents and children can protect themselves from the flu by washing their hands frequently, staying home of you feel ill, and by avoiding contact with sick people.

The latest information can be found the CDC website: http://www.flu.gov and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment website www.colorado.gov/nofluforyou.

Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the undersigned organizations.

Participating Organizations

• Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition
• Colorado Academy of Family Physicians
• American Academy of Pediatrics of Colorado

	H1N1 Joint Statement (33 KB)