Blog Posts tagged with "FDA"

Hello everyone!  We're still monitoring the H1N1 situation in the European Command area of responsibility.  Vaccinations have begun for our military members and we're doing our best to get the vaccination to everyone. 

There are still lots of questions out there and I want to answer some of those in this blog.  I will continue to keep you posted on the latest information.  In the meantime, if you have questions you want answered, feel free to comment on my blog and let me know what's on your mind.

Since vaccinations have started for military members, everyone wants to know when the vaccinations will become available for beneficiaries?

The H1N1 vaccine for Europe is coming from two sources. The first was purchased by DoD under contract from Novartis. The second was purchased by Health and Human Services from Sanofi to cover all of the U.S. population. This obviously a huge order and production continues.

The DoD shipment arrived first and has been used to cover our active duty folks. Since we had some additional supply of this vaccine, we used the excess to treat our family members who are at highest risk (such as those who are pregnant or with chronic conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and other chronic disease conditions).

The shipment of the HHS vaccine will come in at small amounts at time. Sufficient amounts have been ordered and should be available for all who want it. However, for those unwilling to wait, TriCare has allowed for family members to obtain the vaccination from their local host nation providers without prior approval and then obtain reimbursement for this. While not FDA approved, the European Union has their own equivalent safety and approval process. The current vaccines that are approved by the European Union are produced by known international manufacturers who provide vaccines worldwide for not only Europe but the U.S. and others.

Another question weighing on the minds of many is why young children and young adults experience the heaviest burden from H1N1?

First, children are congregated in schools, daycare centers, playgrounds and other areas where they are in close contact with each other. Children also tend to be less disciplined with hand-washing, cough control and other preventive measures. Children can spread virus for many days without showing symptoms of flu.

Regarding adults, many older adults have been exposed to similar flu viruses during their lifetime and as such may have some level of partial immunity that prevents them getting the disease or they may get a milder form of it. Our younger adults do not have this protection, thus we recommend the vaccination.

Folks are wondering if hand sanitizer is better than the good old washing your hands with soap and water?

Good ol' soap and water works, as long as you use the soap and you allow sufficient contact time for it to work. Ideally you should lather up and rub for about 30 seconds (about the length of time it takes to sing Happy Birthday to yourself). Hand sanitizer is a good alternative when traveling or during the day when actual use of soap and water is not available. This helps reduce the germ burden on your hands and limit the spread of disease.

And of course, people want to know if the H1N1 vaccination really works?

The H1N1 vaccine was designed to specifically target this unique pandemic virus. This virus is taking over the usual flu viruses we see seasonally. The vaccine helps us generate protective antibodies against this pandemic strain. While the majority of us do develop protective antibodies, a small number of folks don't which could lead to a flu episode despite having received a shot. Additionally, the virus may mutate which can also cause a decrease in effectiveness. So far we have not seen this occur. I still strongly recommend you get vaccinated.

Lastly, people are concerned about proper vaccination of their children and are confused about how many doses of vaccine are required for children under 10 years old?

Some kids require twoshots and others only require one. Let me explain.  After doing studies on how effective a single vaccination performed in children, the FDA found that children under 10 did not develop a high enough antibody response to provide adequate protection. The CDC currently recommends that children six months to nine years old, who are receiving the influenza vaccine for the first time, receive two doses, separated by four weeks.

Keep your questions coming!  That's what I'm here for!

(Col Dave Schall is the European Command Surgeon. He has served in this capacity for over three years. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine. He has a Masters in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University. He is board certified in Aerospace/Preventive Medicine as well as Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery. He completed a Fellowship in Otology/Neurotology Skull base surgery.)