Pharmacy Tech News CE Lesson

Who should NOT receive the H1N1 vaccine?

The following people should not get any flu vaccine without first consulting their doctor:

• People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs

• People who have had a severe reaction to a previous influenza vaccination

• People who developed Guillain-Barré syndrome within six weeks of getting an influenza vaccine previously

• Children younger than 6 months of age

• People who have a moderate-to-severe illness with a fever should wait until they recover to get vaccinated7

attenuated (intranasal) vaccine may be administered at the same visit. However, recommendations state that two live attenuated (intranasal) vaccines should not be administered at the same time and should be spaced 28 days apart.

 

What is the best source of information for 2009 H1N1 influenza information?

In addition to consulting with healthcare providers, the CDC Web site www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu is an excellent source of information for patients and healthcare providers.

 

Where is there an H1N1 flu clinic location?

To identify an H1N1 flu clinic,

Practice Points

patients can be referred to their local or state public health department or visit www.flu.gov for the “Flu Shot Locator.”

 

coNclusIoN

Pharmacies often are the first place people visit with questions about their health, so pharmacy technicians and pharmacists are ideally positioned to assist in H1N1 patient education, prevention and vaccination efforts. By staying up to date on current H1N1 flu information and recommendations, pharmacy technicians can play an important role in the fight against H1N1 flu.

 

Should a person get vaccinated against 2009 H1N1 if he or she had a flu-like illness since the spring of 2009?

If the person was not officially tested and diagnosed with H1N1, he or she should receive the H1N1 vaccination if recommended by his or her doctor.

 

Will the seasonal flu vaccine also protect against the 2009 H1N1 flu?

The seasonal flu vaccine is not expected to protect against the 2009 H1N1 flu.

•;The H1N1 flu is a pandemic flu, which the WHO defines as when a new influenza virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity and for which there is no vaccine. A pandemic flu spreads easily from person to person, causes serious illness and can sweep across the country and around the world in a very short time.

 

•;Pharmacy technicians can play a role in these critical efforts by encouraging vaccination to appropriate target groups and promoting good hygiene practices to patients, coworkers and family members, such as frequent hand washing, the use of hand sanitizers and staying home when sick.

 

•;Pharmacy technicians and pharmacists can encourage patients who fall into one of the ACIP target groups to get the H1N1 vaccine.

Can the seasonal influenza vaccine and 2009 H1N1 vaccine be given at the same visit?

Current recommendations are that the two inactivated (intramuscular) vaccines can be administered at the same visit as each other. Existing recommendations also state that an inactivated (intramuscular injection) and live

•;The best proven way to prevent influenza infection and its complications is by vaccination.

 

•;The H1N1 vaccines have undergone the same testing as the seasonal flu vaccines have and are produced by the same technology as seasonal flu vaccines.

1 FluView, 2009-2010 Influenza Season Week 41 ending Oct. 17, 2009. Available at http:// www.cdc.gov/flu/ weekly. Accessed Oct. 25, 2009. 2 Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response, A WHO Guidance Document. Available at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/PIPGuidance09.pdf. Accessed Oct. 25, 2009. 3 Scolaro KL. Disorders related to colds and allergy. In: Berardi, ed. Handbook of Nonprescription Drugs: An Interactive Approach to Self-Care. 15th ed. Washington, D.C.: American Pharmacists Association. 2006;202. 4 What symptoms did hospitalized patients have? Available at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/surveillanceqa.htm. Accessed Oct. 13, 2009. 5 What To Do If You Get Sick: 2009 H1N1 and Seasonal Flu. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/sick.htm. Accessed Oct. 13, 2009. 6 Questions & Answers:2009 H1N1 Flu (“Swine Flu”) and You. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/aq.htm. Accessed Oct. 14, 2009. 7 Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent. Available at http:// www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/ucm181950.htm. Accessed Oct. 15, 2005. 8 About Tamiflu. Available at http://www.tamiflu.com/ hcp/ default.aspx. Accessed Oct. 15, 2009. 9 Highlights of Prescribing Information. Available at http://us.gsk.com/products/assets/us_relenza.pdf. Accessed Oct. 15, 2009. 10 Updated Interim Recommendations for the Use of Antiviral Medications in the Treatment and Prevention of Influenza for the 2009-2010 Season. Available at http:// www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/recommendations.htm. Accessed Oct. 14, 2009. 11 Tamiflu oral suspension shortage contributing to dosing errors. Available at http://www.ismp. org/safetyalerts/ 20091015-Tamiflu.asp. Accessed Oct. 25, 2009.

22 • Winter 2009 www.cedrugstorenews.com Pharmacy Tech News