H1N1 Town Hall Meeting at NCDHR (September 2009)

H1N1 faq - text (september 2009)

How long will the H1N1 virus stay alive on the surface? The virus can still be highly contagious outside of the body (for example, doorknob, computer or pager keyboard, shopping cart handle, elevator buttons, staircase rail) for up to 8 hours. [ LARGE PRINT ]

  

What if I am allergic to flu shots? Eggs are used to make flu vaccines. If you experienced severe allergic reaction to eggs or to a previous flu shot or experienced Guillain-Barre syndrome (paralysis), then you should talk to your doctor first before getting flu vaccine. Also, if you are concerned about thimerosal, a preservative in the vaccine, ask you doctor for thimerosal-free shots. [ LARGE PRINT ]

 

Are H1N1 vaccines safe? No flu vaccines are 100% safe. However, serious side effects are very rare. Millions and millions of people get flu vaccine without problems. Some have mild symptoms (soreness, redness or swelling on arm from the shot, fainting, headache, muscle ache, fever or nausea) lasting 1-2 days. If you experience serious side effects, get medical help immediately.[ LARGE PRINT ]

 

Am I immunized from Swine flu in 1976? If you are 33 years old or younger, you have not yet been exposed to this 1976 Swine flu virus. You should get 2009 H1N1 vaccine. If you are older than 33 years, you may or may not be partially protected because the 2009 H1N1 virus is different from 1976. To get full protection from H1N1 flu is to get the 2009 H1N1 vaccine when available. This is especially important for high risk groups, they should get H1N1 vaccine. [ LARGE PRINT ]

 

Is it OK to eat pork? Yes. H1N1 is not transmitted by food. Cooking pork is important for health reasons.You should cook pork to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. The US Dept of Agriculture has food safety videos in ASL that explain how to check food's internal temperature. [ LARGE PRINT ]

 

How do I know I have a fever? A fever is when your thermometer registers 100.4. A high fever is 101 and above. A fever is usually a symptom of flu or cold (a common cold is generally milder than flu). [ LARGE PRINT ]

 

Will my baby get H1N1 through breastfeeding? Because H1N1 is a new virus, we do not know whether H1N1 can be transmitted through breast milk. But, what we do know are these: (1) Protective antibodies from the mother’s breast milk are very important to your baby’s health. Continue to breast feed your baby. (2) If you (as the mother) get sick with H1N1, ask someone else to feed your baby with expressed breast milk.  If no one is available to feed your baby, then wash your hands thoroughly, wear a mask and use a cloth blanket between you and the baby during feeding. (3) It is OK to take medicines to treat the flu while you are expressing your breast milk. [ LARGE PRINT ]

 

Are people with asthma at risk for H1N1 infection? If you have asthma, you are at risk for developing flu-related complications. It is recommended that you should update your Asthma Action Plan. [ LARGE PRINT ]

 

Which is more effective: nasal spray or a shot? The spray works about the same as getting a shot. H1N1 vaccine in nasal spray can be given to healthy people ages 2 to 49. Pregnant women, children younger than 2 and people with asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases should not get the nasal spray. If you are one of these groups, check with your doctor first about getting a shot in the arm instead. [ LARGE PRINT ]