H1N1 Nasal Spray is Safe, Says Kentucky Health Expert

The number of H1N1-related deaths in Kentucky has climbed to 18 in the last week, with two deaths in Jefferson County, and two others in Kenton County.State epidemiologist Dr. Kraig Humbaugh says the state has been allocated about 442-thousand doses, and about 30-percent of those are nasal spray.“I think there might be some hesitancy from health care workers or the general public about the nasal vaccine," says Humbaugh. "And that’s unfortunate because the nasal vaccine is being produced in the same way the nasal seasonal vaccine is being produced.”Humbaugh says of the eighteen H1N1-related deaths in Kentucky, thirteen of them were in the populations that are being strongly urged to get the vaccine. Those are pregnant women, people who live with or work with infants, and health care workers, as well as those with medical conditions that put them at risk for flu-related complications.Officials say the number of H1N1 deaths has been relatively low, compared to the typical number of seasonal flu deaths recorded each year.