The Mississippi Department of Health has received an injectable version of the Swine Flu vaccine, reports WXVT. Spokeswoman Liz Sharlot said the state took delivery of 60,000 doses of the new vaccine in addition to the 69,000 doses of the nasal spray version already being distributed.
The MDH Web site states that health care workers, pregnant women, students, children and adults with other health issues will be given priority for the vaccines. The department is making both the spray and the shot available through county health departments, retail outlets, schools and universities, and private doctors.
The nasal spray, which contains a live, weakened version of the flu virus, is safe for anyone in good health between the ages of 2 and 49. Those who have underlying health issues should opt for the injectable version of the vaccine.
FactCheck.org, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, says that e-mail rumors of the vaccines being tainted and dangerous are "seriously overblown to flat-out false:"
The e-rumors claim generally that the vaccine is dangerous; one even claims it's a government "depopulation" plot. We'll say it straight out: There are some real risks to the H1N1 vaccine. There's nothing shady or secretive about them, thoughthey're exactly the same as the risks of the seasonal flu vaccines.
Health departments and the Centers for Disease Control continue to urge common-sense basic hygiene to avoid the flu: wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water; cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough; stay home if you're sick to avoid spreading illness.
For more information, see the Mississippi Department of Health Web site.
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