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Flu in South Carolina

Flu Vaccines

The best way to prevent seasonal flu and novel H1N1 flu (swine flu) is to get two flu vaccines — one for each type of flu. Flu vaccines can keep you from getting sick and keep you from spreading the flu virus to others.

Novel H1N1 Flu Vaccine

South Carolina has novel H1N1 flu vaccines on hand and more shipments arrive each week. DHEC public health departments and private healthcare providers are scheduling novel H1N1 flu vaccine clinics.. Hundreds of healthcare providers in South Carolina have signed up to offer both the nasal mist form and the injectable form of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine.

The nasal mist form, also called FluMist, contains the live attenuated flu virus (LAIV). LAIV vaccines are not safe for everyone. The injectable vaccine contains an inactive flu virus, so it’s safer for a wide range of people.

Ask your healthcare provider which vaccination you should receive.

Remember — the 2009 H1N1 vaccine will not protect you against seasonal flu, only novel H1N1 flu. You will need to get a separate seasonal flu vaccine.

Where to Find 2009 H1N1 Vaccines

  • Contact your private healthcare provider to find out if he or she will be providing the vaccine.
  • Local pharmacies that signed up to provide the 2009 H1N1 vaccine will advertise it when it becomes available.  
  • Find DHEC vaccine clinics using our DHEC Flu Clinic Finder. We add listings for both seasonal flu and novel H1N1 flu vaccine clinics as they become available.
  • Find non-DHEC clinics in your area using the Carolina Flu Finder tool.

Seasonal Flu Vaccines

Currently, seasonal flu shots are being offered by doctors, local public health departments, drugstores, and urgent care centers throughout the state. To learn where you can get a seasonal flu shot in your community, see the DHEC Flu Clinic Finder.

These Groups Need Flu Vaccines the Most

The CDC identified certain groups of people who are particularly susceptible to the seasonal and novel H1N1 influenza viruses. SCDHEC urges all South Carolinians to get both the seasonal and novel H1N1 vaccines.

The list for seasonal flu is different from the list for novel H1N1 flu.

These People Should
Get a Seasonal Flu Vaccine
ASAP
These People Should
Get a Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) Vaccine ASAP
Those age 50 and older Pregnant women
Pregnant women Household contacts and caregivers for babies younger than 6 months of age
Children 6 months to 18 years of age Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
People of any age who have chronic medical conditions (e.g. asthma, diabetes, congestive heart failure, lung disease) All children from 6 months to 17 years of age
People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities Young adults 18 to 24 years of age
People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu. People 25 through 64 years of age who have health conditions that put them at higher risk of medical complications from flu.

Get updates on vaccine availability in South Carolina, learn more about vaccine safety, and find a flu vaccine clinic in your local area.

Flu Vaccine Safety

  • The benefits of immunization outweigh the risks.
  • All vaccines, including the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, are held to the highest standard of safety and are continually monitored.  
  • Each year, millions of Americans safely receive seasonal flu vaccines.  The 2009 H1N1 vaccine is made the same way as seasonal flu vaccine by the same companies that make seasonal flu vaccine.
  • The National Institutes of Health has conducted clinical trials for the 2009 H1N1 vaccine.  The vaccine has been tested and safely used in children, pregnant women, and adults
  • The 2009 H1N1 vaccine can prevent serious illness or even death, particularly for those who seem most vulnerable to the novel H1N1 flu. Not getting vaccinated could result in disease or putting others, such as babies or people with cancer, at serious risk for illness.
  • If you care for a young baby it’s important that you get vaccinated so you can protect them.
  • See additional information on vaccine safety.

Will DHEC require residents to get a flu vaccine?

Nasal Mist or Injection: Which Type of Vaccine Should I Get?

The CDC says that some people should not take the nasal mist form of the flu vaccine, whether for seasonal or novel H1N1 flu.

The nasal mist form has a tiny amount of a live, weakened flu virus in it. People who can't take the flu mist vaccine should get a flu shot instead.

YES
You Can Safely Take the
 Nasal Mist Form (FluMist) and the
Novel H1N1 Flu Shot
NO
Do Not Take
Nasal Mist Form (FluMist)
Get an novel H1N1 Flu Shot Instead
  • Healthy children and adolescents  2-18 years of age who are not pregnant and do not have health problems
  • Healthy adults ages 19-49 who are not pregnant and do not have health problems
  • Pregnant women
  • Children 6 months to 2 years of age
  • Children or adults who have one or more chronic health problems such as lung disease, heart disease, cancer, HIV-AIDS, kidney disease
  • Children or adults with one or more metabolic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, or anemia and other blood disorders
  • Adults 50 years and older
  • Children or adults with weakened immune systems
  • Children or adults who have certain muscle or nerve disorders (such as cerebral palsy) that can lead to breathing or swallowing problems
  • Anyone in close contact with a person with a severely weakened immune system (requiring care in a protected environment, such as a bone marrow transplant unit)
  • Children or adolescents on long-term aspirin treatment
  • Anyone who is moderately or severely ill.

 

For more information on the nasal mist vaccine, see the CDC’s Questions & Answers: 2009 H1N1 Nasal Spray Vaccine.

Also see the CDC’s Key Facts About 2009 H1N1 Flu Vaccine.

 

Special Novel H1N1 Flu Vaccine Guidelines

  • Children through 9 years of age should get two doses of the novel H1N1 flu vaccine, about a month apart.
  • Older children and adults will need only one dose of the novel H1N1 flu vaccine.
  • The nasal mist form of the vaccine, which contains the live novel H1N1 flu virus, should not be given at the same time as the nasal mist vaccine for seasonal flu.
  • However, the nasal mist 2009 H1N1 vaccine may be given at the same time as many other vaccines. Just make sure to tell your doctor if you got any other vaccines within the past month or plan to get any within the next month.
  • Tell your healthcare provider if you’ve ever had:
    • A life-threatening allergic reaction after getting a seasonal flu vaccine
    • Guillain-Barré syndrome or GBS, a severe illness that can cause paralysis.
    • An allergy to eggs

Your healthcare provider will help you decide whether or not to get the novel H1N1 flu vaccine.

Rare Allergic Reactions to Vaccines

It’s very rare for people to have allergic reactions to vaccines. But it does happen. Symptoms of an allergic reaction usually appear a few minutes to a few hours after a person gets the vaccination.

If you have any of these allergic reaction warning signs, call a doctor immediately:

  • High fever
  • Behavior changes
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Hoarseness or wheezing
  • Hives
  • Paleness
  • Weakness
  • A fast heart beat
  • Dizziness

For more information on flu vaccines, see these CDC resources:

If, after reading the information available here, you have questions about the 2009 H1N1 vaccine,
please call 1-800-27SHOTS (1-800-277-4687).

Flu.gov