Vaccination swine flu

Question

Hello,

This autumn it is planned to have my daughter (5 years old) vaccinated against the regular influenza for the first time. I read that in South Tyrol (where we live) 200000 vaccines against swine flu will be available, risk patients being preferred. Should I have my daughter vaccinated against swine flu as well? How well is this vaccine researched, with which side effects one has to anticipate? According to the media the symptoms seem to be similar to those of a regular flu. Isn’t it exaggerated to vaccinate so many persons?
Many thanks

Answer

[The original German question was answered on September 1, 2009.]

Hello,

Indeed, risks groups will be preferred once the vaccine against swine flu will be available. Children with a chronical pulmonary disease (CF) belong to it. Before approval the vaccine is tested on volunteers in different countries (the studies have already started). The safeness and side effects can only be evaluated after that.

The question if a mass vaccination against swine flu is adequate should be answered by the appointed experts. Your remark that the symptoms are similar to the “regular” flu is surely true; but the concerns also include the possibility that in the process of this epidemic more severe courses could develop.

Best regards,
Dr. M. Ballmann

05.11.2009

5.11.09 For citizens from Germany please see the website of the "Robert-Koch-Institute" for the indications of the vaccine against new influenza (www.rki.de). The side-effects depened also on the concrete vaccine, the available products differ from country to country. The Robert-Koch-Institute has published all test-studies and side-effects to the vaccines in their epidemiological bulletin.
Citizens from other countries may go to the website of the drug company for their special vaccine product and find there everything about side-effects and safty data.
As this is a developing process, recommendations may change in the course of time and data is up-dated regularly.
D. d'Alquen