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H1N1 and Seasonal Vaccine - Q&A

Questions?

  1. Why do I need both vaccines?
  2. Is the H1N1 vaccine safe?
  3. I am healthy. Why should I get any vaccine?
  4. What’s the difference between the H1N1 flu vaccine and the regular flu vaccine?
  5. Is it safe to get both shots at the same time?
  6. What is an adjuvanted vaccine?
  7. I’ve heard I can get sick from the vaccine. Is that true?
  8. Should pregnant women receive the H1N1 flu vaccine?

1.  Why do I need both vaccines?

The seasonal flu shot is the one offered every year. It protects against the most likely strains of flu that are identified each year. The H1N1 flu vaccine protects specifically against the H1N1 strain of flu. Getting both vaccines offers the best protection this year. 

2.  Is the H1N1 vaccine safe?

Health Canada must approve the use of all vaccines for Canadians, subject to the provisions of the Food and Drugs Act and the Food and Drug Regulations. On-site evaluations of the manufacturer’s facilities ensure quality control for the vaccines. Samples of the manufacturer’s batches are also tested in Health Canada laboratories. Only when Health Canada is satisfied
that the health benefits of the vaccine outweigh any possible risk is the vaccine released.

For more specific information, visit http://www.fightflu.ca/. 

3.   I am healthy. Why should I get any vaccine?

Getting yourself vaccinated protects you and everyone around you. Not everybody can get vaccinated, because of allergies, for instance. The very young and elderly are traditionally at greater risk of complications from the seasonal flu, but research is indicating that pregnant women are at greater risk of complications from the H1N1 flu, and there is a small but real risk even among normally healthy people of severe complications from the H1N1 flu. The greater the number of people vaccinated, the better the chance of limiting the spread of the illness.

4.  What’s the difference between the H1N1 flu vaccine and the regular flu vaccine?

The H1N1 vaccine will protect you against the H1N1 flu virus. The regular flu vaccine is very similar to last year’s flu vaccine and is designed to protect you against three strains of seasonal flu that are the most likely to circulate this winter.

The regular flu vaccine does not protect you against H1N1. 

5.  Is it safe to get both shots at the same time?

Yes. Yukon offers both vaccines at the same time for logistical reasons. 

6.  What is an adjuvanted vaccine?

The adjuvant in the H1N1 is an immune booster.

It is made of naturally occurring oil, water and vitamin E. This adjuvant boosts the body’s immune response and increases the vaccine’s effectiveness. Adding it to the vaccine allows us to use less vaccine for the same effect. 

7.  I’ve heard I can get sick from the vaccine. Is that true?

All Canadian vaccines use a killed virus. You cannot get the flu from the vaccination. However, it takes between 10 and 14 days for most people to reach immunity, so you are vulnerable during that period. 

8.  Should pregnant women receive the H1N1 flu vaccine?

The World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) recommended in July that pregnant women and children aged 6–36 months of age should receive nonadjuvanted H1N1 vaccine where possible, but that an adjuvant H1N1 vaccine could be used if the non-adjuvanted type were unavailable.

Canada’s recommendations on the use of both adjuvanted and non-adjuvanted vaccine are based on clinical safety and effectiveness data, as well as the latest epidemiological data on the spread of the virus. We strongly recommend that pregnant women be vaccinated against H1N1.

Your question isn’t listed here?

There are some good sources of information on H1N1, if you want to learn more. For a comprehensive list of questions and answers, we recommend you visit:

You can also call 811, 24 hours a day — seven days a week. 


Yukon Health and Social Services has more Questions and Answers on H1N1 Influenza that aren't specific to the vaccine. There is also a comprehensive listing of H1N1 Influenza Frequently Asked Questions on the Public Health Agency of Canada website.