H1N1 vaccine safety

MOBILE, Ala. - To get the flu shot, or not to get the flu shot. If you've ever gotten one, and felt like you had the flu just days later, you may be debating.

Dr. Kevin Green, an Infectious Disease Specialist, says the shot will not make you sick. He says if you get sick around the time you get the vaccine, you were probably already sick.

"It's usually coincidental. They're not really related. You really can't get a respiratory illness from that. In general, each year when we start giving flu vaccines, which is generally around the first of October, is also when we start seeing other respiratory illnesses," said Dr. Green.

But Dr. Green says even if you get the seasonal flu vaccine, you can still get the flu.

"The injectable flu vaccine, seasonal flu vaccine, is made up of three different viral strains, and so if you get just one of those strains you're still potentially susceptible to the pandemic H1N1 2009 strain and vice versa," he said.

He says doctors have seen more cases of H1N1 this year because the strain is new, and no one has immunity to it. That's because the H1N1 2009 strain is dramatically different from the one that's in the seasonal flu vaccine.

That's why Dr. Green says you should get a both a seasonal flu shot, and an H1N1 vaccine.

He said, "there's already wide spread activity in the community and it helps decrease the chance of transmission and decrease people who are at high risk from complications form getting the illness."

Seasonal and Swine vaccines come in the form of an injection or nasal mist. They are both a weakened form of the flu virus. You may experience congestion if you use the mist. And if you have a compromised immune system, you should not use the mist. Dr. Green says get the injection instead.

If you are taking care of someone with the flu, he says you should wash your hands regularly, and wear a surgical mask if you have access to one to keep you from touching your face and mouth and eyes with a contaminated hand. If you're taking care of someone who's very sick from the flu, talk to your doctor to see if you should be on preventative medications.