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Q: Is it better to get the Seasonal Flu vaccine at the same time as the Swine flu vaccine? Does it matter?
A: If you are waiting until the Swine Flu or H1N1 Vaccine is available to get your Seasonal Flu shot, you are not likely to get any added protection by getting them both at the same time.
Epidemiologists with The Virginia Department of Health say, “These immunizations are each to protect against specific different strains of the flu. Getting them both at the same time would not be expected to boost the effectiveness of either one. What’s important is that a person gets both immunizations to gain protection against the maximum number of flu strains.”
There is nothing wrong with getting them both at the same time. If you delay getting the Seasonal Flu vaccine until the H1N1 vaccine is ready you certainly can get them both at once but that low grade fever that some people notice after getting one vaccine may be stronger. Contrary to what some believe all of the medical experts I have talked to say you cannot get the flu from the vaccine. Health officials say any aches you experience are the body’s response to the vaccine.
According to V.D.H., “You might expect to maybe get a little more of an initial immune response (low grade fever, body aches) since your system is exposed to a larger overall amount of vaccine, but you should not get bigger or better protection than getting the vaccines at different times.”
But one thing to keep in mind is that health experts are still doing H1N1 vaccine trials so the results from those trials will provide even more information and answer more questions in the future.
Link to more information from the Virginia Department of Health regarding Influenza.
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