Everyone is asking me about the Swine Flu vaccine.  We don’t have it in stock yet!  But I expect a shipment from the Delaware Division of Public Health any week.  When we receive it, I’ll post a note here.

People ask if I recommend the Swine Flu vaccine.  Yes, I certainly do!  When we receive it, I’ll administer it to my staff and myself (at the direction of the Division of Public Health).  Then we’ll offer the vaccine to our most frail patients (with cerebral palsy, chronic lung diseases, etc).  Then we’ll invite you to schedule an appointment to receive it.

Just as for the regular “seasonal” flu vaccine, there will be a nasal mist Swine Flu vaccine, as well as shots.  We’ll offer these to our patients as we receive them.  I doubt that we’ll receive our entire allotment at once, so some patients may have to wait to receive it.

Are you worried about the vaccine?  Please be reassured.  The H1N1 vaccine has been tested on thousands of patients already.  The manufacturing processes are the same as for the “regular” seasonal flu vaccines.  So the new vaccines can be expected to give the same immunity, and the same low chance of side effects, as the vaccines against “regular” flu.  And we are certainly seeing cases of H1N1 flu in the office (perhaps two cases a week now), so it’s a good idea to get immunized.

–  David Epstein, MD