Should Kids Taking Immunosuppressant Medication Receive The H1N1 Vaccine?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have classified all children, 6-months to 24-years, one of the high risk groups for contracting the H1N1 (swine) flu, and recommend this population receive the H1N1 vaccine for immunity against the disease. But what about the millions of children who are already battling other diseases chronic diseases including asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV, irritable bowel disease (IBD) and other digestive disorders such as Crohn’s disease? Is it safe for these kids to receive the H1N1 vaccine when already taking an immunosuppressant medication that weakens the immune system but controls their disease? Will mixing the H1N1 vaccine with these powerful medications put the patient at an even greater risk? Doctors at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio have been tackling this question from not just a few parents, but from a number of concerned parents. During the past five years there has been an explosion of new immunosuppressant medi
