H1N1 is the general name of several influenza viruses, of which H1N1/09, the pandemic Swine Flu, is one. It is a Type A influenza virus and the H and N stand for the two proteins on the outer surface of the virus. See the related question below with more information about the make up of H1N1.
No, the H1N1 virus does not contain carcinogens.
There have been several versions of H1N1 influenza over the years. But the most recent H1N1 flu was the pandemic "Swine Flu" A-H1N1/09. The monovalent (made with and for protection against a single virus) vaccine for it was made just before the flu season in fall/winter 2009-2010. Again, in the 2010-2011 flu season the same vaccine was included in the trivalent (made with three viruses) vaccine for the seasonal flu. If you had the monovalent vaccine in 2009, then you should still take the trivalent vaccine for the 2010 flu season. It will not hurt to get another dose of the H1N1/09 virus vaccine, it might enhance the immunity of some people, and you need to be vaccinated for the other two viruses that are most likely to be going around in this season.
No, the "pneumonia vaccine" is to protect against several types of pneumonia that are common and will not protect against the A-H1N1/09 virus. See related questions below.
No, see below for the list of ingredients. It has been proven to be a safe and effective product to use to avoid the A-H1N1/09 flu and its symptoms and complications.
No, the H1N1 vaccine won't make you sicker or healthier if you already have H1N1.
the h1n1 vaccine does not work all the time
This year's vaccine does contain Type A, H1N1/09 vaccine made from the specific type (i.e., mutation) of the H1N1/09 virus that is expected to circulate in the US in flu season this year. That specific strain is called: A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus The vaccines made from the other two selected influenza strains that are in the 2012-2013 flu vaccines in the US contain: A/Victoria/361/2011 (H3N2)-like virus B/Wisconsin/1/2010-like virus (from the B/Yamagata lineage of viruses)
For H1N1/09, Novel Swine Flu: they began developing the vaccine in the US as soon as the virus was isolated and the epidemics were spreading in April and May 2009. The vaccines were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on September 15, 2009. Other H1N1 vaccines: these have been developed in the past. One that is well known is the 1976 vaccine that was associated with an increase in Guillain-Barre Syndrome after the administration of the vaccine. It was made an entirely different way than these flu vaccines are made today. There are also some H1N1 vaccines developed for use by pig farmers for the prevention of the type of H1N1 that is a disease of pigs that people only rarely get when they are in regular close contact with the pigs.
I did...:(
The pandemic H1N1/09 virus was not discovered by one doctor, but was isolated and studied by a team of CDC scientists and WHO scientists along with the Mexican health authorities as a joint effort.
You can take the vaccine but it will not stop the disease. Vaccinations prevent disease but they do not cure them.
Originally in 2009 the vaccine for the pandemic swine flu was a monovalent vaccine, which means it was made to only prevent that one type of flu. Then for the 2010-2011 flu season, a trivalent vaccine was made for the regular flu just like every year. Trivalent means it is made to cover/prevent three different kinds of influenza virus infections. For the most recent flu season in the Northern Hemisphere, the "regular" flu shot contained the vaccine for swine flu and two others. So, the monovalent H1N1 vaccine covered only one type of flu: the pandemic swine flu. But the trivalent seasonal flu vaccines cover three types of flu (one of which, for the 2010 - 2011 flu season, is Swine flu H1N1/09).