Types

• There are two types of H1N1 influenza vaccination currently available: a 2009 H1N1 flu shot and a 2009 H1N1 nasal spray flu vaccine. The flu shot is a vaccine that contains a killed virus and is made just like the seasonal bird flu vaccine. It is approved for people aged 6 months and older---including pregnant women and people either healthy or chronically ill. The H1N1 nasal spray vaccine is sometimes referred to as LAIV, which means "live attenuated influenza vaccine." It is made in the same way as the seasonal flu nasal spray. The nasal spray is approved for healthy people who are between the ages of 2 and 49, who aren't pregnant. The vaccinations kick in about two weeks after they are administered, when antibodies that protect against H1N1 influenza develop in the body. However, these vaccines do not protect people against any other types of seasonal influenza viruses and they will have to get separate flu vaccines for those.
  
  

Recipients

• Some people are strongly advised to get vaccines because of their vulnerability or proximity to people who are vulnerable to swine flu, according to the CDC. But the CDC reports that people should not get a vaccine if they have health problems or bad reactions to previous vaccinations. Priority recipients of the vaccine include pregnant women, young people, people who have chronic health problems, people who live with infants or care for babies, and health care workers. On the other hand, the CDC reports that people should not get an H1N1 vaccine if they are younger than 6 months old, if they have a moderate-to-severe illness and fever, if they have strong allergies to chicken eggs, if they have severe reactions to influenza vaccination and/or if they developed Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of getting a previous influenza vaccine.
  
  

Recommendations

• The CDC recommends that people get vaccinated as soon as the vaccines are available in their area and they should continue getting vaccinated throughout the flu season, which can stretch into May. The swine flu might hit communities multiple times during the flu season, according to the CDC. But while the H1N1 virus is the biggest threat to communities across the United States, the CDC recommends that people also get non-H1N1 influenza vaccines to protect themselves against influenza, as that is just as big of a concern during the flu season.