The state has ordered 200,000 doses of seasonal flu vaccine, and expects shipments of H1N1 vaccine to arrive in October.

Maine schools are preparing to begin vaccinating students against both seasonal flu and swine flu.  Maine Center for Disease Control Director Dora Mills says the state has ordered more than 200,000 doses of season flu vaccine, which is scheduled to arrive soon.  She says the H1N1 vaccine is expected to arrive sometime in October. 

Mills says some schools plan to offer the vaccinations in two separate clinics, while others plan to wait and offer both vaccinations at once.  Mills says much of the preparations are being funded with Recovery Act funds.

Mills says there's no evidence that the swine flu vaccine is more dangerous than the regular seasonal flu vaccine.  While clinical trials are being conducted as a precaution, she both vaccines are manufactured in an "identical way."

The vaccines are being offered free to students, but students are not required to get vaccinated, Mills says.

 Helpful Links: 

 What is the Swine Flu?

 Link to contact numbers for Maine district vaccine coordinators

 Maine DHHS / CDS H1N1 Influenza (Swine Flu) Resources and Information

 Questions and answers about both the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines

 National Gov. CDC Questions and answers about thimerosal in vaccines