H1N1 vaccine and pregnant women

TAMPA - The people who most need the H1N1 swine flu vaccine might not be the very first to get it.

The Centers for Disease Control said this afternoon that while the FDA has approved an H1N1 vaccine, pregnant women and those with immune problems can't get this first version.

The reason why is that there are two kinds of vaccines.

One is a shot containing killed virus that is injected into the body to teach the immune system to attack the flu bug should we catch it.

The other is a nasal mist, but it uses a live, non-infectious virus that does the same thing as the shot with the dead virus.

According to the CDC, the earliest H1N1 vaccine will be the nasal mist, with the live virus.

But that vaccine is off limits to pregnant women and those with immune problems, so they'll need to wait for the shot.

But it will protect most others between ages two and 49.

The CDC says the different availabilities are a matter of logistics.

"An important factor to keep in mind is there's no magic in this. This is a huge logistical process and there's not sudden appearance in 90,000 refrigerators around the country," said Jay Butler, the H1N1 vaccine task force chief with the Centers for Disease Control. "So in general, the recommendations are the people in the highest risk groups get vaccinated first. But in any given location, the availability of vaccine may actually vary, so often times that decision of who is actually administered the vaccine may ultimately be decided by the provider and the patient."

So far, it looks like adults and children over the age of 10 will only need one dose. Younger children will probably need two.

There is some concern about whether you need to wait before getting a seasonal and H1N1 vaccine. The Hillsborough County health department says no, that's not the case. Go ahead, get your seasonal flu shot as planned. You will not have to wait to get the swine flu vaccine when it becomes available.