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Nov 08, 2009 (Chicago Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- QMy 6-year-old son has an anaphylactic reaction to eggs but has an underlying health condition that puts him in the highest of the high-risk segment (for H1N1 flu). The rest of our family will get the vaccine, but what are the best things we can do to keep him safe?

AYou are right not to get the vaccine for your son without consulting a physician. The H1N1 and regular seasonal flu vaccines are made from chicken eggs and contain egg protein, so people who have severe reactions to eggs are among those who generally should avoid flu vaccines of any type.

It appears that your son has a severe reaction, but for others, simple nausea or other minor symptoms don't always mean one is allergic to eggs, according to Dr. Joshua D. Jones, a communicable-disease specialist at the Chicago Department of Public Health. That is why it is very important to get a doctor's diagnosis.

Jones recommends that you try to keep your son away from people who are infected or who have a high risk of becoming infected. That could mean staying away from playgrounds and other places where children -- the most prolific carriers of the virus -- gather.

Short of that, you should engage in what Jones called "watching waiting." That means you should watch him closely for symptoms, and if they do develop, take him to the doctor quickly. At that point, the doctor might begin treatment with Tamiflu or other antivirals.

QI am trying to conceive. Should I get the H1N1 vaccine now or wait until I am pregnant? Is it safe to get pregnant within a week or two of getting vaccinated?

AUnless you are in a high-risk population group (already pregnant, youngsters 6 months to 24 years old, health care or emergency worker, adults ages 25 to 64 with serious health problems), you may have to wait a few more weeks to be vaccinated. Health officials say vaccination is essential for the safety of the mother and the fetus.

QHow long is a person with H1N1 considered infectious?

AAccording to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infectious people can spread the virus a day before the symptoms appear, and they can remain contagious for five to seven days after getting sick. Doctors said some people remain contagious longer than that, particularly children and people with weakened immune systems.

QI am a little overweight (6-foot-1, 220 pounds) and I smoke 20 cigarettes a day. Should I get the vaccine?

AThe verdict is still out on whether moderately obese people, with a body mass index in the 30 to 40 range, have an increased risk of complications from H1N1, according to Tom Frieden, director of the CDC. But one thing is clear, he said: People who are very obese, with a BMI of 40 or more, face serious risk of complications.

"Most people with a body mass index that high also have health problems, such as diabetes or heart disease," Frieden said.

Smoking also compromises your respiratory system, so you should get the vaccine when it becomes available, according to Kenneth Alexander, University of Chicago infectious-disease specialist.

"In the meantime," said Alexander, "for the people who love you, try to quit, and keep trying until you succeed. They'll love you for it."

dglanton@tribune.com

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Dahleen Glanton

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