Students who go to University Health Services (UHS) for a standard visit will now be offered the H1N1 flu vaccine in the form of a nasal spray -- while it lasts, that is.
About 1,000 doses of the alternative-form vaccination became available to Penn State students after going unused by health and childcare workers who were ineligible, said Doris Guanowsky, senior associate director of UHS.
Because the nasal spray is considered to be a live virus, there are more medical restrictions associated with it. Anyone with long-term health problems such as heart, kidney or liver disease, certain allergies, or candidates who may be pregnant are automatically unable to receive the H1N1 vaccine in this form. Additionally, it can only be administered to people who fall within the ages of 2 to 49.
"We didn't realize all the limitations," Guanowsky said, explaining many health and childcare workers are often older than the acceptable age limit.
Students who are allergic to thimerosal -- a preservative used in the injectable vaccine -- may want to take advantage of the nasal spray, which does not contain it.
Guanowsky said there is no real advantage to receiving the H1N1 vaccine in one form over the other, but the nasal spray is available simply because it was released by the U.S. Department of Health first. Penn State has not yet received the injectable H1N1 vaccines, although the seasonal flu vaccine will continue to be available at clinics in November.
"It's a very individual decision," Guanowsky said. "Some people don't like shots, and some people don't like getting stuff squirted up their nose."
Alessandra Chialastri recently visited the health center and was offered the nasal spray vaccine. She declined because her mother, a nurse, advised against it.
"It's a rapidly mutating virus. I would feel more comfortable if I saw some results," Chialastri (junior-secondary education) said. She added she would prefer the injection form anyway, because shots don't bother her.
Though UHS only has a few hundred vaccines left in the nasal spray form, university spokeswoman Annemarie Mountz said Penn State is hoping students will take advantage of the surplus and ultimately receive both the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccinations.
"Exposure to one doesn't give you immunity to the other," she said.
Both Mountz and Guanowsky urged students to make an appointment with UHS to receive the nasal spray vaccine and continue to check flu.psu.edu for updates.
