Older Adults Low on the Priority List for Swine Flu Vaccine

According to the Center for Disease Control the priority list for the H1N1 (commonly known as the Swine Flu) vaccine does not include people 65 and older. In addition to the common annual outbreaks of seasonal flu, there are two strains of flu that are among circulation in the United States. These new flu strains are known as the H1N1 (Swine Flu) and the H5N1 (Bird Flu). H1N1 is spreading across the United States whereas the H5N1 which has had more reported cases overseas. Because of the potential for pandemic a priority list has been made to ensure that those most at risk will be prioritized for the vaccine. The shot itself and the mandates around it have caused much controversy.

As of October 1^st 2009, 47 states in the United States have ordered doses of the vaccine and issued mandates for vaccinations. The reason for the priority list is because certain vulnerable people can develop serious complications to the point of death. This includes children, pregnant woman and individuals with health issues. A full list can be obtained through the Center for Disease Control and various government websites. Any strain of the flu regardless of how common can be deadly. Each strain that emerges seems to attack a different age group more severely.

Older Americans have lived long enough to have been exposed or vaccinated against a number of virus strains including; influenza, and the Russian flu which was a different type of what we now know to be H1N1 which was spread in the 1970’s. There was yet another strain that emerged again in the 1940’s causing a pandemic. The population of those alive in the early part of the 1900’s is a small number today. Researchers think that these populations of elderly who are still alive and have lived through the influenza pandemic of 1918 have high levels of the antibodies for the virus in their blood making them less vulnerable to the viruses that emerge today. Other strains of the flu virus emerged in the 1940’s. The similarities in these strains and the immunity that has been built up to them in older adults who have in a sense, weathered the pandemic storm, is now serving as a natural protection for them against this new potential pandemic known as H1N1.

Extensive efforts have been made and are currently underway to study and monitor this new strain of flu. According to the Center for Disease Control after running blood tests on those who have tested positive for the flu, older people are thought to have a natural immunity to this particular strain of flu. Recent studies show that in adults 60 and older about one third may have some level of immunity to the H1N1 virus. Older adults may have had exposure or vaccine at an earlier point in their life making them less susceptible to this flu strain. Other sources indicate there may be additional factors that come in to play with older adults making them less vulnerable to the disease than the very young. Transmission patterns and a change in environmental factors are thought to be two reasons why older adults have more of immunity to this new flu strain.

According to other studies the worst cases of H1N1 were found in people under the age of 55 who are listed on the priority lists published by the Center for Disease Control. Despite the older population not being on the priority list, it is still encouraged that they receive the flu shot and the H1N1 as it becomes available. The Center for Disease Control is reporting that there should be a sufficient amount of vaccines available for those who wish to be vaccinated following those on the priority list.