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Medical Assistant Topics: Swine Flu Vaccine Approved

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By the All Allied Health Schools career research team – Your link to Allied Health Career news, trends and training.


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As CBS News reports, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced this month that the Food and Drug Administration has approved a vaccine for the H1N1 virus.

This is good news for Americans hoping to alleviate at least some of their worries about swine flu.

Secretary Sebelius indicated that limited distribution of the vaccine will start in early October. And the large-scale vaccine program will begin mid-October, with vaccines going out to 90,000 clinics across the country.

While the vaccine will be available to everyone who wants it, not everyone has to get a shot. First in line should be those most likely to catch swine flu and suffer the subsequent complications, such as children, pregnant women and medical personnel. So far, fewer adults outside of these categories have contracted the disease.

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Right now, a single dose has proven effective for adults. However, studies on the right dosage for children continue. And the FDA reports that although the vaccine is free for Americans, health care providers might charge a fee for the shot.

Medical assistants and doctors will be talking to their patients about swine flu, and looking for symptoms in their patients, family members and friends: fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

But if an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, you may also want to get vaccinated—and advise others to do the same—just to be sure.

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Source: washingtonpost.com

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