Can a child who had the H1N1 vaccine and remains well still be a carrier and pass the illness to others?

Ask the Pediatrician

Can a child who had the H1N1 vaccine and remains well still be a carrier and pass the illness to others?

Except in very rare cases, the answer is no. The only scenario where this could possibly happen is if a child receives the nasal spray vaccine and then comes in close contact with someone who has a severely compromised immune system, such as a bone marrow transplant patient. This is because the nasal spray contains a live, weakened strain of the virus that may cause illness in people with suppressed immune systems. For this reason, the nasal spray vaccine is not recommended for people with weakened immune systems or for anyone who is in close contact with them.

Since no vaccine is 100 percent effective, it’s also possible that a child may get vaccinated but still come down with a mild case of influenza. So technically the child does not remain well, but the sickness may be so slight that you might not even realize that the child has the flu. That’s another reason it’s always important to practice good disease-prevention measures, like frequent hand washing and sneezing into tissues.