Does someone who just got a dose of the nasal spray vaccine need to stay away from young babies less than 6 months old?
No, even though there is a very small risk of the vaccine virus being transmitted to the baby, the vaccine virus is made so it will not cause illness. The risk of the baby catching influenza from someone who has not been vaccinated is much higher. People with H1N1 flu are contagious for up to 24 hours before they know they have the flu and for as long as they have symptoms. Young children might be contagious for even longer. To protect babies less than 6 months old from influenza, all household members and caregivers are recommended to receive both the seasonal flu vaccine and the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine.
