NH Health Director Says Swine Flu Shots Free

Aug 13, 2009 12:36 pm US/Eastern
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) ― New Hampshire's public health director said Thursday that swine flu shots will be provided free sometime this fall and high-risk residents will get the vaccinations first.

Dr. Jose Montero said that once clinical trials on the vaccine are completed, states will have a better idea how many doses they will receive.

Montero said the first to be vaccinated will be pregnant women, people caring for children younger than 6 months, health care and emergency workers, people ages 6 months through 24 years, and people ages 25 through 64 with health conditions putting them at greater risk of complications from the flu.

Insurance companies have agreed to absorb administrative costs of delivering the shots for the high-risk groups, Montero said. He said he has not discussed having them absorb the costs for the rest of the population, but federal funding will cover the costs if insurance does not. New Hampshire has received $3.4 million from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to pay for swine flu clinics and information outreach, he said.

"Nobody will be rejected in New Hampshire because of money," he said.

The CDC says studies indicate that the risk of infection among people age 65 or older is less than for younger groups.

Montero said lower-risk groups will be immunized as the vaccine becomes more plentiful.

Montero said some questions can't be answered until the trials on the vaccine are completed.

Montero said residents could need three flu shots this fall — one for seasonal flu and two to protect against the swine or H1N1 flu.

Seasonal flu shots are recommended for slightly different age groups. The biggest difference is a recommendation for people age 50 or older to be vaccinated, Montero said.

School nurses have been preparing for the possibility of the virus returning stronger this fall. Montero said swine flu has been active all summer.

Montero, Gov. John Lynch and other state officials offered the same prevention advice given last spring: cover the mouth when coughing, wash hands frequently and stay home one day after the symptoms stop.