Thanks for your questions. The recommendation from the CDC and ACS is to obtain the regular flu shot first, and then the H1N1, however, I believe that recommendation was based on the fact that the seasonal flu vacine became available first. It would be prudent to consult ones physician to ensure if the influenza vaccines would be a benefit and if there are resources for only one, which vaccine would be recommended. The CDC and ACS offers general guidelines only and since not everyone will respond equally to the vaccines, ultimately, if you have cancer and are undergoing treatment one's attending physician should make the call. It appears from the CDC data that the number of cases of H1N1 are climbing faster than the seasonal flu. However, it is unclear how much testing/reporting is being done to identify if the cases are H1N1 or seasonal. Perhaps someone working in public health epidemiology could clarify for us. These are great questions Pat. Thanks again for asking.
Best always,
Lynette
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Hi Pat,
Thanks for your questions. The recommendation from the CDC and ACS is to obtain the regular flu shot first, and then the H1N1, however, I believe that recommendation was based on the fact that the seasonal flu vacine became available first. It would be prudent to consult ones physician to ensure if the influenza vaccines would be a benefit and if there are resources for only one, which vaccine would be recommended. The CDC and ACS offers general guidelines only and since not everyone will respond equally to the vaccines, ultimately, if you have cancer and are undergoing treatment one's attending physician should make the call. It appears from the CDC data that the number of cases of H1N1 are climbing faster than the seasonal flu. However, it is unclear how much testing/reporting is being done to identify if the cases are H1N1 or seasonal. Perhaps someone working in public health epidemiology could clarify for us. These are great questions Pat. Thanks again for asking.
October 21, 2009 - 3:46pmBest always,
Lynette
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