H1N1 Vaccine Side Effects

The side effects of H1N1 vaccine include tenderness in the site of the injection, along with pain, redness, swelling, skin hardening and bruising. Other side effects of H1N1 vaccine include nausea, malaise and muscle pain.   Feeling out of sorts, chills, deep muscular pain, vomiting, nausea, fever and headaches are some systemic side effects of H1N1 Vaccine.

Although a robust response of the immune system has been reported after administration of the vaccine, neurological effects such as the Guilllain-Barre syndrome have also been experienced by patients receiving the injection.

For patients who received the nasal spray version of the H1N1 vaccine, the side effects include nasal congestion, sore throats and similar side effects as those who receive the vaccine for seasonal flu.

The side effects of the H1N1 vaccine experienced by children aged 2-17 include wheezing, stomach or abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea, nasal congestion, fever, headaches and coughs. Adults between the ages of 18-49 report symptoms that include tiredness, chills, headaches and coughs.

Keep in mind that the nasal version of the H1N1 vaccine is to date not approved for pregnant women. The persons who are considered great candidates for the flu vaccine nasal version are those aged 2 to 49.  The most severe but very rare side effect includes an allergic reaction that is life threatening.

Also known as the flu shot or the influenza vaccine, the H1N1 vaccine protects against the influence virus that is quite variable. Every injection of the vaccine contains three viruses of influenza including one regular seasonal A(H1N1) virus later replaced by the H1N1 virus in the year 2009, the A (H3N2) virus, and one B virus.

Emerging each wintertime, flue seasons occur due to the different times that the flu occurs in the North and South hemispheres. Thousands of people die in one year although each year there are variations. Seasonal influenza kills between a quarter to half a million people worldwide.

The research of influenza does include molecular evolution, molecular virology, host immune response, pathogenesis, genomics and epidemiology. These aid in the development of flu countermeasures like therapy, vaccines, and tools for diagnostics. Current improvements in the countermeasures require research on how cells are penetrated by viruses, mutate, replicate and eventually evolve into newer strains and stimulate a response of the immune system.

There are high dose vaccines also available that are four times the effectiveness of regular vaccines approved in 2009 by the FDA. These are intended for persons over the age of sixty-five who have a weak immunity response because of normal aging.  This vaccination features a stronger immune response compared to the standard vaccination but it is to this date not known if it gives greater flu protection or not.

The speed of production, distribution and development of the pandemic flu vaccinations potentially save millions of human lives in a pandemic of influenza. Because of the brief time frame of the identification of a strain that is pandemic and a vaccination need, there are vaccine production technologies being studied which can provide more improved “real time” access and be easier to afford, increasing the success of fast recovery from the virus.