Washington University will provide free 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccinations beginning Friday, Nov. 20, to current faculty, staff and students who are pregnant.
Danforth Campus students who are pregnant can get the vaccine at the Habif Health and Wellness Center from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 20.
Danforth Campus faculty and staff who are pregnant can get the vaccine from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23, in Room 248 of the Danforth University Center.
School of Medicine faculty, staff and students who are pregnant may call Occupational Health Services at 362-3528 for an appointment.
To receive the vaccine, faculty, staff and students must present their Washington University ID and employee or student number. Pregnant spouses of employees or students are not eligible.
The vaccine is thimerosal-free. People with a severe, life-threatening allergy to eggs or any other substance in the vaccine should not get any version of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine.
Because the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine is an FDA-approved product using the same facilities, materials and technologies used to make the annual seasonal flu vaccines, it is believed that the safety profile is similar to seasonal flu vaccine.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of one dose of 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine for persons 10 years old and older. The vaccine can be administered at the same time as other vaccines.
The 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine is available in an inactivated injection and a live form in a nasal spray. The nasal spray is licensed for people from age 2-49 who are not pregnant and do not have certain health conditions, including asthma and diabetes.
The seasonal flu vaccine is not expected to protect against the 2009 H1N1 flu. Similarly, the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine will not protect against seasonal influenza. For this reason, seasonal flu vaccine continues to be recommended for health-care workers and individuals at highest risk of complications from seasonal influenza.
Updates will follow as the vaccine becomes available for more widespread distribution to faculty, staff and students. An effort is being made to first vaccinate those who are at highest risk for H1N1 flu complications.
For more information about the 2009 H1N1 flu or seasonal flu, visit wustl.edu/flu.