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H1N1 Flu Vaccine

Will the H1N1 vaccine be available to everyone?

Yes. All Ontarians who need and want the H1N1 flu shot will be able to get it. For convenience, the H1N1 vaccine is available at health care providers’ offices throughout the province, at flu clinics and at many workplaces in Ontario too.

The following priority groups are at highest risk of complications from H1N1 flu and are strongly encouraged to get their flu shots as soon as possible :

  • People under 65 – that includes adults and children down to six months of age - with chronic conditions;*
  • Pregnant women;
  • Healthy children 6 months to under five years of age;
  • People living in remote or isolated communities;
  • Health care workers;
  • Household contacts and care providers of persons at high risk who cannot be immunized or may not respond to vaccines. These include parents, grandparents and other care providers of infants under six months old.

What is a chronic condition?

People with the following chronic conditions are more at risk of developing complications from H1N1 infection if they do get sick :

  • Heart disease
  • Kidney disease
  • Asthma and chronic lung disease
  • Liver disease
  • Diabetes
  • Serious obesity
  • Diseases or treatments that affect the immune systems such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, organ transplants
  • Blood disorders
  • Neurological disorders
  • Medical conditions where people have difficulty swallowing or are at risk of choking
  • Children and adolescents' medical conditions treated for long periods with acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin®).

To get your H1N1 flu shot, call your health care provider first as many offer the flu shot. Flu shots are also available at public flu clinics.

Why should I get the vaccine?

It is recommended that everyone six months or older get vaccinated with the H1N1 vaccine. Together, with frequent hand washing, coughing or sneezing into tissue or sleeve and keeping commonly touched surfaces disinfected, it will help you stay healthy this winter. Getting vaccinated also helps stop the spread of the flu virus.

Vaccines are one of history's most successful and cost effective public health tools for preventing serious disease and death.

Is the vaccine safe?

The H1N1 vaccine is made of inactivated pieces of the virus.  It cannot give you the flu.

The vaccine is safe for adults and children. Public health officials recommend that getting immunized is the best method for protecting everyone from the flu. The Canadian Pediatric Society has confirmed the safety of H1N1 vaccines.

How does the vaccine work?

Vaccines contain an antigen which is made of inactivated pieces of the virus. It allows your immune system to recognize a virus, and produce antibodies designed to fight it.

The pandemic H1N1 virus is a new virus — humans have no natural immunity against it. Getting vaccinated allows your body to recognize and fight the virus.

Within approximately two weeks of vaccination, your immune system will have produced antibodies against H1N1. If the virus enters your body, those antibodies will attack it so that you stay healthy.

What is an adjuvant?

The H1N1 vaccine used in Canada has an additive called an adjuvant. Adjuvants are added to vaccines to produce the best immune response. They boost your body’s ability to create antibodies against H1N1.

Adding an adjuvant also means that each vaccine shot requires a smaller dose of the active ingredient -- the antigen. This allows more vaccine to be produced at a faster rate.

Public health experts recommend that for healthy people aged 10 - 64, both the adjuvanted and unadjuvanted vaccines are comparable in terms of effectiveness and safety.

What other additives are in the vaccine?

The vaccine has a very small amount of thimerosal, which is used to prevent bacteria from forming in vials. Thimerosal breaks down into ethyl mercury but this is not the kind of mercury that is very toxic. The amount of trace mercury in your vaccination is less than the amount of mercury in a can of tuna.

Side effects

You may feel some discomfort at the site of the injection, including swelling or redness. Some people experience a bit of fever, fatigue and muscle aches that last up to two days.

As with all vaccines, there is a very small chance that a more serious reaction can occur. People are asked to stay at the clinic for 20 minutes after getting their shot, just to be sure. Health care providers at the clinic are trained to monitor and treat these possible reactions.

What if I am pregnant?

There is more clinical data available on the health effects of unadjuvanted vaccine on pregnant women. This is why unadjuvanted vaccine is being made available and is the preferred choice for pregnant women.

Where do I go for my shot?

The H1N1 vaccine is available at health care providers’ offices throughout the province, at flu clinics and at many workplaces in Ontario too.

If I’ve had a seasonal flu shot, do I really need the H1N1 vaccine?

Seasonal flu vaccine will not protect you against H1N1. With two types of flu viruses circulating, it is recommended that people get both.

How much vaccine should my child get?

Dosing recommendations for children
Age Group Recommended Dose
0 to 5 months H1N1 flu vaccine not authorized for use
6 months to 35 months 2 half-doses of adjuvanted vaccine*
The 2 half-doses should be given 21 days or more apart.
3 to 9 years (Healthy children) 1 half-dose of adjuvanted vaccine**
3 to 9 years
(Children with chronic medical conditions)		 2 half-doses of adjuvanted vaccine
The 2 half-doses should be given 21 days or more apart.
10+ years 1 dose adjuvanted vaccine

*An adjuvant is a substance that is added to a vaccine to boost a persons immune response. It includes naturally occurring oil (called squalene), water and vitamin E.

**This recommendation may be updated as more information becomes available.

How has the vaccine been distributed?

The Government of Ontario receives H1N1 flu vaccine from the federal government and oversees its distribution to 36 local public health units across the province. The vaccine is largely divided among local regions based on population distribution. However, given the large geographical areas to be covered, varying transportation challenges and unpredictability of the weather, northern public health units were sent a larger portion of the initial shipments.

The province receives the vaccine in shipments of varying volume over time. Consequently, H1N1 immunization was offered in stages to different groups of people, based on scientific and clinical evidence about who is most at risk and how much vaccine was available. Now H1N1 immunization is available to all Ontarians.

Vaccine distribution in the province [PDF] lists the number of doses of H1N1 flu vaccine distributed to the province’s 36 public health units.

What is the vaccine distribution process?

  1. Shipment arrives

    Vaccine arrives from the manufacturer every week and is stored in the Ontario Government Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Service (OGPMSS) biocooler between 2° – 8°C to maintain vaccine stability.

    The shipment of vaccine is reviewed to ensure that the ministry received the expected supply from the manufacturer and that appropriate storage conditions were maintained during transport.

  2. Customer service

    A vaccine distribution plan is developed every week. Customer service staff input into the database specific quantities of vaccine to be shipped to each public health unit. This ensures that an appropriate portion of the weekly vaccine supply is available across the province. The staff also answer questions from physicians and nurses about the vaccine supply and expected deliveries.

  3. Repackaging

    The manufacturer supplies the vaccine to OGPMSS in boxes of 500 doses. Staff then repackage the vaccine into mini packs, each with 100 doses. These smaller quantities can then be accessed by many more health care providers in the community.

  4. Warehouse

    The quantity of vaccine for each delivery is reviewed by staff. The vaccine is then packed in coolers to ensure that the supply remains secure and stable during transport.

  5. Delivery

    The transport vehicles, which also maintain storage conditions of 2° – 8°C, are loaded with the vaccine shipments to be delivered to public health units across the province.

  6. Protection

    To date, the ministry has distributed millions of doses of the H1N1 vaccine to the province’s public health units.

Download : Behind the scenes of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care’s Pandemic Response [PDF]


For More Information
For information about seasonal flu, H1N1 and pandemic preparedness

Call the ServiceOntario INFOline at 1-800-476-9708 (Toll-free in Ontario)
TTY 1-800-387-5559
TTY (Toronto) 416-327-4282
Hours of operation : 8:30am - 5:00pm

To speak with a registered nurse

Visit Telehealth Ontario or call 1-866-797-0000
TTY: 1-866-797-0007
Hours of operation : 24 hours, 7 days a week

To find health care options in your community

Visit ontario.ca/healthcareoptions or call 1-866-330-6206.

To find a health care provider

If you don’t have a health care provider, you can register for the Health Care Connect program. Visit ontario.ca/healthcareconnect or call 1-800-445-1822.

 

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