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Pregnant Women Win Priority for Swine Flu Vaccine

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 30, 2009 2:58 AM CDT

(Newser) – Pregnant women and people who care for infants will be first in line for the swine flu vaccine this fall, the Washington Post reports. Infants, children and young adults under 24, chronically ill adults aged 25 to 64, and health care workers are the other top priority groups under guidelines drawn up by experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yesterday.

Healthy people aged 25 to 64 will be next to be offered the vaccine under the guidelines. People over 65, who appear to be largely immune to the H1N1virus because of exposure to similar flu strains, are the lowest priority for vaccination. The first 40 million doses are expected to be ready by September. CDC officials believe immunization might require two shots.

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A European researcher prepares to handle samples of the H1N1 virus. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Professor Nikolai Petrovsky displays a swine flu vaccine dose at the Flinders Medical Center in Adelaide, Australia. (AP Photo/Aman Sharma)

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The only sin is vaccine left in the refrigerator. And this happens every time you prioritize flu vaccine. - William Schaffner, president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

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