The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that vaccination efforts for H1N1 flu (also known as swine flu) focus on 5 key groups of people when the vaccine becomes available. In addition, the agency said the H1N1 vaccine should be used alongside the seasonal flu vaccine to protect people.

The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices says that the following groups of people should receive the vaccine against novel influenza A (H1N1) when it becomes available:

• Pregnant women,
• People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age,
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel,
• Individuals between the ages of 6 months through 24 years of age, and
• People from ages 25 through 64 years who are at higher risk for novel H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.

The CDC estimates that those 5 groups total 159 million people in the United States.

The agency said that the following groups should receive the vaccine before others if the vaccine is initially available in extremely limited quantities:

• Pregnant women,
• People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age,
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel with direct patient contact,
• Children 6 months through 4 years of age, and
• Children 5 through 18 years of age who have chronic medical conditions.

The CDC says that once the demand for vaccine for the prioritized groups has been met at the local level, programs and providers should begin vaccinating everyone from ages 25 through 64 years. 

In June, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic of the H1N1 virus--the first pandemic since 1968. Nationwide,, states have reported more than 43,000 confirmed and probable cases of H1N1 infection. Of these cases reported, 5,011 people were hospitalized and 302 people died.

HR.BLR.com's Pandemic Planning Resource Center has a policy, training, guidance, checklists, and more resources to help you prepare your organization.