Swine flu nasal vaccine now here

Whitman County’s allotment of nasal spray vaccines for the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, has been distributed to local health clinics.

The county last week received 350 doses of a vaccine which is sprayed into the nose, said Fran Martin, director of the county health department.

The spray will be distributed to those most vulnerable, namely people aged two to 24. Martin said the virus has killed four people in Spokane, all of whom were young and pregnant.

Where deaths from the normal flu typically strike older people, the swine flu affects a different set.

“This is definitely a young, young person’s illness,” said Martin.

Though the number of infected patients seems to have leveled off locally, Martin estimated 3,000 people were infected with the virus on the WSU campus. She said Tamiflu has shown to be effective in weakening symptoms of the virus.

The health department is charging $15 for the nasal vaccine. Pregnant women should not take the spray, but can take the injectable vaccine.

Martin said the department anticipates more swine flu vaccine will be made available in the coming weeks. She said the next round of vaccine is expected to be the injection variety.