A single dose of the H1N1 flu vaccine works well for almost all pregnant women, but young children will still need two doses for best results, federal health officials said Monday.
Twenty-one days after receiving a single 15-microgram dose of the vaccine, 92 percent of pregnant women showed a robust immune response, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. A larger, 30-microgram dose produced a strong response in 96 percent of pregnant women, Fauci said.
He said that among children 6 months to 35 months old, just one in four had a strong immune response after 21 days. For those 3 years to 9 years old it was 55 percent. There was a sharp improvement after a second dose, he said, raising the fully protected rate to 100 percent in those 6 months to 35 months and 94 percent in those 3 years to 9 years.
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