H1N1 Flu FAQs

H1N1 information for the Deaf community is available here.

What are you doing about the H1N1 problem?
At URMC hospitals and clinics, we're taking precautions to help keep people as healthy as possible:
In our hospitals:
  • We're asking people with flu symptoms to refrain from visiting our patients. If they must be here, we're asking them to wear a mask while they have flu symptoms, to help prevent spread of their illness. In some cases, we may prohibit certain age groups from visiting certain units.
  • We're asking patients who are experiencing flu symptoms to let our staff know, so we can best take care of them.
  • We are encouraging all hospital health care staff who work with patients to receive the seasonal flu vaccination. Pending we receive adequate H1N1 vaccine to deploy to staff, we will also encourage them to receive this, too.
  • We are displaying signs and brochures that teach about the importance of good hand hygiene and coughing/sneezing etiquette. We also have "hand hygiene kiosks" that are well stocked with antibacterial hand gel, face masks and tissues.
  • We are urging workers to stay home if they are sick.
  • We are restricting visitors under 18 from visiting any inpatient unit.
In our clinics:
  • We will continue to follow our usual procedures for respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.
  • We will offer hand sanitizer and masks in our waiting rooms for patients with flu-like symptoms.
  • Like our health care workers in the hospital, physicians and staff in outpatient clinics are encouraged to receive seasonal flu vaccination (as well as H1N1 vaccine, should they receive sufficient supply).
Where is Rochester’s H1N1 vaccine?
  • Flu vaccine is grown in chicken eggs, which is a finicky process. Sometimes, the eggs don’t yield as much vaccine product as manufacturers hope, causing production setbacks. This has been particularly true with the H1N1 vaccine.
  • H1N1 vaccine has begun to trickle into the Rochester, though not at the brisk pace national health officials originally predicted. Throughout the month of November, approximately 10 million doses (nationwide) will be distributed weekly (this is in fact only half of the initial estimate, which anticipated 20 million doses shipping weekly, nationwide). Again, this vaccine will be offered to the CDC-recommended H1N1 priority groups first.
  • If you are in one of the priority groups listed, you should be in contact with/keep close watch for communications from your doctor in the coming weeks (as doctors’ offices receive vaccine, they will use their own methods for informing patients about availability – e.g., phone calls, websites, e-mails, etc.).

Who is a CDC-determined priority group for H1N1 vaccine?
Health care providers are adhering to the CDC recommendations in dispensing the vaccine, which advise that programs and providers try to first vaccinate:
  • pregnant women,
  • people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age,
  • health care and emergency medical services personnel,
  • persons 6 months through 24 years of age, and
  • people from ages 25 through 64 years who are at higher risk for novel H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.
Why do some practices have vaccine, but not others?
When the vaccine first became available, quantities were especially limited, so the government chose to push it to some offices, but not all, simply to “prime the pump.” Now, all doctors can order vaccine and receive it when doses become available. Many doctors have already ordered, and will begin receiving vaccine as it arrives; however, some have indicated that they won’t be ordering it, and will instead send their patients to county clinics. To receive vaccine, doctors must register to order, place orders, and then ask for additional doses as supplies run out.
Where is the seasonal vaccine?
A heightened public vigilance against H1N1 flu this year has also made Americans more interested in protecting themselves against seasonal influenza. This resulted in vaccine shortages at many doctors’ offices, clinics and retail drugstores.

In Rochester, public flu shot clinics have been cancelled until more vaccine arrives, likely later in November. The good news is that seasonal flu vaccine is still beneficial to get in November, December and even beyond, as seasonal flu (unlike the new H1N1 flu) does not typically peak in Rochester until January or later. To keep tabs on weekly public flu clinic information, call your doctor or the county’s Flu Line at 753-5600.
What are the symptoms of H1N1 flu?
The common symptoms of H1N1 flu in people are similar to the symptoms of typical seasonal flu, and include: fever greater than 100°F, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with H1N1 flu.

Like seasonal flu, H1N1 flu can vary in severity from mild to severe, and may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions. The severity of illness from the current H1N1 flu strain appears to be mild in most cases. However, it should be noted that pregnant women are more likely to get sick than others and have more serious problems with both seasonal and H1N1 flu. These problems may include early labor and severe pneumonia.
What should I do if I get sick?
If you become ill with influenza-like symptoms – including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea – you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others. If you are worried about your symptoms, you should contact your health care provider. He or she will determine whether further treatment is needed.
How should I care for my child if he or she becomes sick?
Comfort care is still the number one recommendation for most individuals with influenza. This includes drinking plenty of fluids, reducing fever with acetaminophen or ibuprofen, getting good rest, and keeping relatively isolated to prevent spread of the flu to other family members. Of course, if your child is in a high-risk group (e.g., he or she has asthma, an immune deficiency, chronic lung disease, etc.), or if you are worried about his or her symptoms, you should call your child's doctor.

Read a great article on H1N1 flu and kids.
How will I know that it’s time to call my doctor/seek medical care?
The good news is that most cases of H1N1 flu have been mild, so most people can recover at home with simple comfort care. However, you should contact a pediatrician if your child displays any of the following warning signals:
  • fast or troubled breathing
  • bluish or gray skin
  • persistent or severe vomiting
  • child isn’t drinking enough fluids
  • child is unusually hard to wake up, isn’t interacting, or is so irritable that he or she doesn’t want to be held
Children with underlying neurological problems should be quickly seen by a doctor if they run a fever. If your child is in another high-risk group (e.g., he or she has asthma, an immune deficiency, chronic lung disease, etc.), or if you are worried about his or her symptoms, call your child’s doctor.

In otherwise healthy children, keep your eyes open for instances when your child might seem to feel better, but then relapses with a high fever. This often signals an infection that must be treated with antibiotics. Even though such infections are seldom severe, the child should be seen by a pediatrician as quickly as possible.

Adults with severe symptoms (such as those bulleted above) may also complain about pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness and confusion. If you are worried about your symptoms, call your health care provider.
How is the H1N1 vaccine made?
It's important to understand that the components in the seasonal flu vaccine change almost every single year, and that this vaccine is released and licensed with these new components each year without any clinical trials at all.

This year's new vaccine, technically named A/California/09, or "novel H1N1" – is made in exactly the same way as every other flu shot, except that instead of containing three viruses, there is only one. The way the vaccine is made, the components, and the dose are all exactly the same as always, except there is one-third as much antigen, because there is only one strain of virus instead of three.
Doesn't the seasonal flu vaccine also protect against H1N1?
No, it does not. The new H1N1 strain was identified after the seasonal flu vaccine was already in the process of being manufactured, so it will be delivered as a separate vaccine.
How many doses of H1N1 are necessary to produce immunity against this new strain of flu?
While you should talk to your doctor about what is recommended for you/your children, be aware that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of just one dose of 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine for persons 10 years of age and older. Children 9 and younger need to receive two doses. Infants less than 6 months old are too young to get the 2009 H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines.
Can I get the flu from the vaccine?
THE SHOT: No. The flu shot is made from dead virus, and cannot cause flu. Sometimes, this can be confusing since a) it takes some time for the vaccine to become effective at protecting you, so that, unfortunately, you might still get the flu for a couple weeks even after being vaccinated; b) the flu doesn’t protect everyone completely, so, even though you’ve been vaccinated, there’s still a small chance you’ll get the flu, so you should still practice “safe living” (wash hands, etc.) and try to avoid people who have the flu.

THE NASAL SPRAY:  Unlike the flu shot, the nasal spray flu vaccine does contain live viruses. However, the viruses are attenuated (weakened) and cannot cause flu illness. The weakened viruses are cold-adapted, which means they are designed to only cause infection at the cooler temperatures found within the nose. The viruses cannot infect the lungs or other areas where warmer temperatures exist. Some children and young adults (2 to 17 years of age) have reported experiencing mild reactions after receiving nasal spray flu vaccine, including runny nose, nasal congestion or cough, chills, tiredness/weakness, sore throat and headache. Some adults have reported runny nose or nasal congestion, cough, chills, tiredness/weakness, sore throat and headache. These side effects are mild and short-lasting, especially when compared to symptoms of influenza infection.
Aren't older adults (65 years old and up) a priority for this H1N1 flu vaccine?
Surprisingly, they're not. Age groups affected by H1N1 flu are generally younger – to date, most severe cases and deaths from H1N1 flu have occurred in adults under the age of 50, with deaths in the elderly comparatively rare. This stands in stark contrast to the seasonal flu, for which about 90 percent of severe and fatal cases occur in people 65 years of age or older.

Even so, once vaccine demand among younger age groups has been met, people 65 and older will be urged to get the H1N1 vaccine. In the meantime, it's critical to remember that adults 50 and older continue to be the number one priority group for receiving a seasonal flu vaccine each year. Seasonal shots are usually available through your provider, as well as through local community clinics.
If H1N1 is expected to be so prevalent this year, is it even worth it for me to get the seasonal flu vaccine?
While we wish we could accurately predict what will happen in advance of this year's flu season, we can't. What we do know right now is that H1N1 will be active at some point in the upcoming flu season, and there will be cases of seasonal influenza as well. Vaccinations against these viruses are the best way to prevent occurrence, and we urge everyone to take advantage of vaccinations as appropriate.

While H1N1 vaccine will be offered to CDC-recommended priority groups first, seasonal flu shots are usually available through your provider, as well as through local community clinics.
I'm pregnant – should I be vaccinated against H1N1 and seasonal flu?
There are no contraindications for either the seasonal or H1N1 flu shot for pregnant women, or for those trying to conceive. In fact, pregnant women are at high risk for experiencing severe complications from seasonal flu, and especially from H1N1 (they are the number one priority group for H1N1 vaccinations, and the number two priority group for seasonal flu vaccinations) and are advised to receive a flu shot in any trimester. Pregnant women who have further questions or concerns should talk to their doctors.
Last spring, children in schools were told to stay at home for a whole week if they became sick with H1N1 flu. Have the recommendations changed?
Yes, they have. Most local schools seem to be following the Health Department's current recommendations for sending children with fever and respiratory symptoms home (either from school or daycare) until their fever has been gone for 24 hours.

The older recommendation this past spring asked kids to stay home for seven days, and is no longer applicable. Also, according to current Health Department guidelines, a doctor's note is not necessary for your child to return to school (although individual schools may have special policies of their own – you can check with your child's school to be sure).
How do I know if I (or my child) need an antiviral medicine, like Tamiflu?
Treatment of H1N1 flu with Tamiflu is reserved for individuals at risk for life-threatening complications from influenza, such as patients with asthma, immune deficiencies, chronic lung disease, premature infants, or those currently taking medications that suppress the immune system. Contact your primary care office if you think you/your child is at high risk.

Remember that Tamiflu is an antiviral medicine (not an antibiotic, like penicillin), and is most effective if started within the first 48 hours of illness. Antibiotics do not work against viruses, such as seasonal or H1N1 flu.

Read a great article on H1N1 flu and kids.
Are H1N1 vaccines covered by my insurance? Will there be any out of pocket costs associated with the vaccines?
While the H1N1 vaccine itself is free (it's paid for by the government), there are many costs associated with administering it. For instance, in addition to paying staff for actually giving the shot, we are being required to keep detailed records of how we distributed each and every dose (this data must be filed with the state health department). At this time, it is unclear if insurance will cover these administrative and overhead costs.
What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. If you do not have a tissue, use your sleeve, not your hand, to cover the cough or sneeze.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
  • Try to avoid close contact with sick people if possible.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
  • If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
Where can I get more information?
The public can obtain more information about swine flu and things you can do to help protect yourself at the New York State Department of Health's website at www.nyhealth.gov or the Center for Disease Control's website at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu. You can also call the New York State Influenza Hotline for answers to non-urgent questions at 1-800-808-1987.