October 29, 2009 Nasal or needle: Which H1N1 vaccine is for you? Play video

(NECN) - In tackling the H1N1 concern around the region, a panel of experts addressed the misconceptions about the disease and the vaccine as part of NECN's H1N1 two-hour special.

Expert panel:

• Dr. Anita Barry, Boston Public Health commissioner
• Dr. Gwenn O'Keefe, CEO/editor-in-chief, Pediatrics Now
• Dr. Richard Zane, Brigham & Women's Hospital vice chair, Department of Emergency Medicine
• Dr. Myechia Jordan, CEO Dimock Community Health Center
• Dr. Jodie Dionne-Odom, N.H. deputy state epidemiologist
• Dr. Anita Barry, Boston Public Health Commission
• Dr. Alasdair Conn, Emergency Services, Mass. General Hospital
• Dr. Laura Riley, OBGYN Mass. General Hospital

One question surrounding the vaccine concerns the amount of the flu in each dose. Our experts said that patients cannot get the flu from either the regular or nasal vaccine.

"The nasal vaccine is great for people between 2-and-49 years who are not pregnant and don't have any health problems," Dr. Barry said.

The nasal vaccine is not given to children who live with people taking immunal-suppressant drugs, such as chemo. Those people need the regular shot. Also, children under the age of 10 should receive two vaccinations, but those older only need one.

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Dr. Conn said that the delay in the vaccine is due to the difficult preparations needed to produce the vaccine.

"We anticipate that we will get more

supplies in the next two-to-three weeks -- enough, we hope, to vaccinate all of the people who need to get vaccinated," Dr. Alasdair Conn said.

Dr. Riley said that pregnant women are at the top of the list.

"We intend to vaccinate all of them who want to be vaccinated," Dr. Riley said. "The problem is that, as Dr. Conn mentioned, the vaccinations are coming through at a very slow rate and we can only vaccinate people when we have the vaccine. In the meantime, we want people to be very vigilant about washing their hands, coughing into their sleeves and staying away from sick individuals.

She also said that pregnant women experiencing flu-like symptoms should immediately contact their providers in order to prevent the case from becoming severe.