who was responsible for the first vaccine
This may be a few more weeks for the vaccine against swine influenza are available, but it is feared that the country is one of the priority groups for vaccination - pregnant women - are among the least likely to be vaccinated.
Most of the year, only one in seven pregnant women get the flu. Federal officials hope to bring those numbers this year, but may face upwards.
Several factors come into play, experts say.
Overall, pregnant women are less inclined to take any medication or vaccine for fear of harm to the fetus.
In the case of vaccine against the swine flu of these problems may be increased.
"There is a public belief that the vaccine is ramrodded through without proper consideration," said Dr. Bruce D. Rodgers, director of maternal fetal medicine at the University of Buffalo.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta found that influenza vaccine is not exactly pigs tested on pregnant women and children.
The vaccine studies in pregnant women was to begin this month, according to the CDC. In New York, the first round of vaccine will be available in mid-October, according to the Ministry of Health.
Despite the absence of screening pregnant women, the federal government encourages them to get vaccines against swine flu, saying it expects to be as safe as other vaccines for influenza.
"2009 vaccine against the H1N1 influenza will be using the same processes and objects that are used to make vaccines against seasonal influenza," the CDC Web site says.
But although the government manages to convince pregnant women should receive the vaccine, can it be easy to obtain.
"The problem is that these women are paid caregivers, family physicians and obstetricians. We do not know which doctor is responsible for the vaccine," said Rodgers.
In some cases, primary care physicians and obstetricians do not provide immunizations.
While pediatricians routinely provide vaccinations, many doctors who treat adults are not in business by giving the vaccine, said Dr. Anthony J. Billittier IV, Erie County Health Commissioner.
"This is something that is becoming increasingly problematic for many practitioners care for adults," he said.
Initial cost to purchase vaccines cut many doctors, he said. The shingles vaccine, for example, costs about $ 200 a dose. And some of the vaccine can be purchased in packs of 10
The Government is to cover the cost of the vaccine against swine flu. But if surgery is not configured to offer vaccination, providing the vaccine against swine flu still cause additional start-up costs such as purchasing equipment to perform the vaccination in the designated temperature.
For once there was the additional question of whether insurance companies do not pay providers of health care to cover the cost of administering the vaccine. Many companies have decided they are the costs - to move some experts believe it may help convince more doctors to begin offering vaccination.
"Since most of our projects is on prevention, including vaccines against influenza, in whole, without cooperation between payment of the H1N1 vaccine will be fully covered by the majority of our members," Dr. Thomas Foell, Medical Director Independent Health, said in a prepared statement Monday.
And BlueCross BlueShield announced two weeks ago that the company will cover the administrative costs for the vaccine against swine flu.
It appears that the impact of these decisions will have on pregnant women who appear to be particularly at risk for complications of swine influenza. There are at least four times more likely than other patients hospitalized, and flu, and they represent a disproportionate number of deaths of swine flu.
Billittier said the primary care physicians and local obstetricians have generally responded to his appeals for help to instill community, including pregnant women.
"It seems that providers of health care in Erie County to meet this challenge, agreeing to work in partnership on public health to protect our community," he said. "The H1N1 is everybody's problem and everyone must be involved in the solution. "
Meanwhile, Billittier tried to put things in perspective.
"It's really just another influenza virus," he said. "Providing H1N1 vaccine is actually a vaccination against seasonal influenza, which, in order to target the latest viruses, which was heading towards us. Many people are not generally applicable to all about seasonal flu, but they have serious concerns about H1N1 - and probably both have the same potential to cause health problems. '