I get the regular flu shot each year, but this one seems kinda experimental.

No, it's not experimental. It's produced for actual general use.

Of course that's not what you meant, Bill. If I understand you, you were implying that it had been put together hurriedly, perhaps carelessly, on a by-guess-and-by-golly basis. Or at least with the real intention of doing it for research (experimental).

Actually, it's made by the same techniques, and from the same materials as the seasonal flu shot.

"What's the difference, then?" I can almost hear you say.

Every year the seasonal flu shot is modified to defend against particular strains (5 of them, if I remember correctly) which are expected to be particularly prevalent that year. This is called "strain change". The H1N1 vaccine is just another strain change, produced in the same manner, from the same materials, as the seasonal flu shot.

"Why not include H1N1 in this year's seasonal vaccine?" you might ask. They already had this year's seasonal flu vaccine well along in production, so couldn't at the last moment include this H1N1 in the cocktail, so had to produce a "special edition", but that's not an experimental product.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to my doctor's office to take advantage of one of his seasonal flu shot days.

I happen to be almost 79, and the H1N1 is not being recommended for old farts like me, as I understand it. When it becomes readily available I'll check with my Doc, but I don't expect he'll tell me to take it. I would if he did.

Dave Oesterreich