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RALEIGH – Health care professionals say the H1N1 vaccine is safe and should be administered to high risk groups when possible. But they acknowledge that some people have concerns about receiving the vaccine.

Dr. Linda Butler, the chief medical officer of Rex Hospital, said that some people have misconceptions when it comes to vaccines, especially for the H1N1 flu virus. But she said it's the best form of protection right now.

"There has been nothing in the literature saying there has been a problem with any of the vaccines," Butler said.

Right now, there are three types of vaccinations out there, including the nasal spray and two injectable forms.

"There are no new products in there," said Julie Stauss, the clinical pharmacist at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh. "These are all things that have been used in previous vaccinations or that we use in all injectable forms of medications we use in the hospital on a daily basis."

Stauss said the vaccines mainly consist of viral proteins, common antibiotics that can also be found in over-the-counter medications, and one type of the injectable vaccine has a preservative formula that includes thimerosal, which contains mercury. The other injectable form does not have the preservative.

Despite concerns in the past about the use of thimerosal in pediatric vaccinations, Butler said there's been no proven link between the preservative and autism.

"I would much rather a patient go ahead and get the H1N1 vaccine that has a trace of thimerosal in it where there's no proven risk rather than get exposed to H1N1 and ultimately maybe pass away," she said.

On Monday, an independent group of national health experts has started reviewing the safety of the vaccine and watching for possible side effects. The National Vaccine Advisory Committee's H1N1 Vaccine Safety Working Group plans to meet regularly to review cases of people who have already received the vaccine.

So far, U.S. health officials have not spotted any concerns as close to 27 million doses have been distributed across the country.

Meanwhile, experts said there may be some side effects after getting inoculated. Those who get the flu mist may get headaches or a runny nose. Those who opt to get a shot may have pain or swelling at the injection site. There's also a possibility of flu-like symptoms, but health officials said it's impossible to get H1N1 from a killed form of the virus.

Experts also warn that those who are allergic to chicken eggs and have had severe reactions to vaccinations in the past should probably keep from getting the H1N1 vaccine.

"It's certainly reasonable to talk to your physician, talk to people and gather information," Stauss said.