At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occae cati cupiditate non provident..
Get Swine Flu Vaccine, Symptoms and Precautions
line

Frequently Asked Questions About Swine Flu Vaccines and Vaccinations
user-image
By: Admin   August 25, 2010

The World Health Organization has declared the H1N1 swine flu, also being called Novel H1N1 swine flu, to be pandemic.

A vaccine is now available to the public to inoculate us against H1N1 swine flu. It has been tested for effectiveness and safety and is being distributed throughout the United States to medical practices and state and local health departments. (Please note, if you find any claim that you can purchase swine flu vaccine, online or anywhere else, know that this claim is bogus.)

How Is the H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine Developed?

The H1N1 swine flu vaccine was developed like any flu vaccine is developed. According to the FDA (pdf), "seed" virus, in this case the H1N1 swine flu virus, is injected into fertilized eggs where it grows into the agent needed to vaccinate human beings. Once the material has grown in the eggs, it gets distributed to manufacturers who use it to develop individual doses of either an injectable or a nasal vaccine. From there it is distributed to the organizations who make it available to the public – medical practices, government health organizations and others.

Why Is There a Shortage of H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine?

In the United States, the federal government approved the swine flu vaccine for production in April 2009. Based on the growth patterns in previous years of seasonal flu seed vaccine, then vaccination doses, it estimated that 120 million doses of swine flu vaccine would be ready for the public by mid-October. What was not anticipated was the slower growth of the virus during the egg stages of development, meaning, the remaining aspects of production were delayed. As of late October 2009, only about 10% of the expected doses were ready for injection.

Additional delays are chalked up to capacity. The manufacturers that produce vaccines were already running full throttle developing seasonal flu vaccines. Decisions had to be made about whether to repurpose their manufacturing lines to swine flu vaccine production, replace those lines all together, or exactly how to handle this additional load of manufacturing.

A further drain on the supply occurred when officials decided that many children would need two doses instead of just one to protect them completely. That means that twice as many doses will be needed for many children, increasing the demand by possibly 30%.

The revised estimate for H1N1 swine flu vaccine dose delivery is 150 million doses by the end of 2009. It remains to be seen whether that will happen, or what further problems may crop up.

Who Should Get the H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine?

The World Health Organization (WHO) met in Geneva, Switzerland to discuss the reach of pandemic Novel H1N1 swine flu across the globe, and to discuss progress in the development of the vaccine and the approach countries should take to assure vaccination of its citizens.

American public health officials reviewed the WHO recommendations, then developed their priority list of who should receive H1N1 vaccinations.

According to the CDC, citizens should be vaccinated in this order:

  • pregnant women
  • caregivers and adults who live with or care for children younger than six months of age(parents, daycare providers, teachers and others)
  • healthcare workers and emergency personnel
  • children and young adults, ages 6 months to 24 years
  • people age 25 to 64 who suffer from chronic health problems or have compromised immune systems
  • adults age 65 and older

Note: children under age six months are too young to get the vaccine.

Information about vaccination or precautions for specific groups of people such as pregnant women, schools and daycare centers, businesses, people who suffer from specific medical conditions, even people who work with pigs, can be found at the CDC’s website.

How Many Doses of the H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine Do I Need to Get?

Make sure you understand that in late 2009, there are two vaccines officials believe we will need to develop the most protection from flu. One vaccine is intended to prevent catching the H1N1 swine flu and a second vaccine is needed to protect against the seasonal flu, the flu that comes around once a year.

As of October 2009, the CDC is recommending:

  • Children age nine and under may need two doses of the swine flu vaccine, at least 21 days apart. The second dose is a booster for the first.
  • Children and adults 10 years of age and older may need one dose of the swine flu vaccine.
  • The seasonal flu vaccine has its own requirements, separate from the swine flu vaccine.
  • Check with your own doctor or your child’s pediatrician and follow his or her guidance to be sure you are as protected as possible.

Can I Get Both the Seasonal and the H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine at the Same Time?

Whether or not you can get doses of both vaccines at the same time depends on the type of administration (shots vs. mist, or killed vs live) that you will be receiving. Your safest bet is to ask your doctor what he or she recommends.

If I was vaccinated in 1976 against swine flu, do I need to get the 2009 vaccine?

According to the CDC, it is unlikely the vaccine given in 1976 will protect you from this more current strain of influenza.

I’m having trouble finding flu vaccine supplies. How can I find a place to get my flu shots?

There are several websites that offer locators for flu clinics:

  • The first place to check is your doctor’s office. Even if they have no supply of vaccine, they may know where you can go.
  • The American Lung Association has a Flu Clinic Locator.
  • Your state’s health department may provide flu clinic information.
  • Or check your local newspaper or TV station websites which may list clinics near you.

23

If I Decide Not to Get the H1N1 Vaccine, or If I Am Unable to Get It, What Can I Do to Protect Myself?

The best defense against any flu or any infection, whether or not you have been vaccinated, is to practice good hygiene such as frequent handwashing. If you do get sick, stay home from school or work to prevent spreading it to others.

Sometimes the defense is a good offense, too. The World Health Organization estimates one third of us will get H1N1 swine flu regardless of what we do to prevent it. A smart patient prepares ahead of time by developing a swine flu plan for when a family member gets swine flu.

Swine flu cases confirmed in NYC
user-image
By: Admin   August 22, 2010

New York officials previously had said there were eight probable cases, but Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that it was swine flu, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

About 100 students at St. Francis Preparatory School, the largest private Catholic high school in the nation, complained of flu-like symptoms. The school canceled classes on Monday and Tuesday in response to the outbreak.

Bloomberg stressed that the cases in New York were mild and many are recovering, but also said that parents of the students had flu symptoms as well, "suggesting it is spreading person to person."

"We do know that some of the students from the school had a spring break in Mexico," Bloomberg said, surrounded by top city officials and members of Congress. "It is most likely to be brought back from Mexico, but nobody knows."

The outbreak, which has caused mild illnesses in the USA but has sickened more than 900 and may have caused 60 deaths in Mexico, is raising fears of a global flu pandemic. World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan said the outbreak had "pandemic potential," according to the Associated Press.

Also Sunday, Nova Scotia’s chief public health officer announced that the east coast Canadian province has four confirmed cases of swine flu. Four students from King’s-Edgehill School in Nova Scotia ranging in age from 12 to 17 or 18 are recovering. All of them had what he describes as "very mild" cases of the flu.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has confirmed two cases of swine flu in a home in Dickinson County. One of the patients there had recently traveled to Mexico, flying in and out of Wichita.

Just this past Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported eight confirmed cases in suburban San Diego and San Antonio, Texas, of an unusual new swine flu.

Swine flu is a respiratory infection that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs, but it’s rare in humans, however sporadic infections can occur, according to CDC’s Anne Schuchat, interim deputy director for Science and Public Health Program.

Human cases of swine flu typically involve people who have had direct contact with pigs, but person-to-person transmission is more likely in the cases in California and Texas.

The cases in California and Texas have been mild, but CDC officials said in a press conference early this afternoon that in Mexico, the same or a related strain of swine flu has killed many.

"We’re very fortunate all of our cases have been mild. Only 1 out of 8 confirmed cases in the Southwest has been hospitalized," Schuchat said.

Some infectious disease experts are concerned that Mexico’s flu situation only recently came to light. "I’m wondering if Mexico notified us soon enough?" says Neil Fishman, director of health care epidemiology and infection control at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

Three new swine flu cases in UK
user-image
By: Admin   July 13, 2010

Three new cases of swine flu have been diagnosed in the UK, one in the north-east and two in London, making eight in total, the Department of Health said today.

All three new British victims are said to have mild symptoms and to be responding to treatment at home.

The Health Protection Agency said 230 possible other cases were under investigation in the UK.

In Scotland, the health secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, said it was "probable" that one of the people in contact with honeymooners Iain and Dawn Askham had contracted the disease. If so, he would be the first person to be diagnosed who had not travelled to Mexico recently.

Sturgeon said: "If this case was confirmed it would be the first case in Scotland of onward transmission, but I stress it’s not confirmed at this stage."

She said the person, a male, had tested positive for type A flu and was having further tests to determine whether it was H1N1.

The new victim from the north-east, who had recently returned from Mexico, shares a house with two Newcastle University students living off-campus, the university said today. It said it had spoken to the Health Protection Agency and had decided not to shut down.

In a statement, the university said: "Neither of the students concerned has so far displayed any flu-like symptoms. Both students have received the anti-viral Tamiflu, and they and the university have been advised by the Health Protection Agency that there is no need for the students to isolate themselves from the community unless they show symptoms."

Ireland also reported its first probable case of swine flu this afternoon, a man who has recently returned from Mexico. The chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said tests had shown the man had Influenza A, and he was now being tested for H1N1.

Pat Wall, professor of public health at University College Dublin, said the case was "likely to be positive".

The latest cases came as the UK’s chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, said today he was "concerned but not alarmed" after the World Health Organisation raised its swine flu global epidemic threat level to phase five, the second highest.

He said the UK would see "many more cases" of swine flu but most people would make a good recovery.

From next Tuesday, all UK households will receive an information leaflet on swine flu outlining the Department of Health’s to encourage people to use tissues when they sneeze.

The first Britons confirmed with swine flu have left hospital and are "very well", Scotland’s first minister, Alex Salmond, said today. The Askhams had been treated in an isolation ward after falling ill after their honeymoon in Mexico.

A second newlywed couple who feared they had contracted swine flu in Mexico were among those given the all-clear. Pete and Jenny Marshall had been on honeymoon in Cancún, the same resort as the Askhams, and reported flu-like symptoms and other illnesses.

After the three British cases of swine flu confirmed yesterday the Department of Health stepped up its emergency response with plans to purchase additional stocks of antiviral drugs and face masks.

Those three Britons – a 12-year-old girl from Paignton, Devon; a 41-year-old woman from Redditch, Worcestershire; and a 22-year-old man from north-west London – had recently returned from Mexico. The child was on the same flight into Birmingham as the Askhams.

Her school, Paignton community college, has been closed for a week. All 267 pupils in her school year and all teachers who might have come into contact with her have been given the antiviral drug Tamiflu, the college principal, Jane English, told a press conference today. English said the girl attended school on Wednesday to Friday last week after returning from holiday but had not been in since.

Dr Sarah Harrison, a public health consultant for Torbay Care trust, said of the afflicted pupil: "She is suffering from flu, so she’s not feeling very well, but she’s improving." She said 340 courses of Tamiflu had been given out in Devon and dozens of people were being monitored for the virus in the area.

Chemists in Torbay were selling out of face masks, nasal sprays and hand washes today. A spokesman for Crossways pharmacy, also in Paignton, said: "Our customers are very keen to take precautionary measures against swine flu. So far we have sold out of medicated hand gels and completely sold out of face masks. We sold out within hours of the first case in Torbay being announced."

Pregnant women more at risk from swine flu
user-image
By: Admin   May 4, 2010

Pregnant women should take prescription flu medicines if they are diagnosed with the new swine flu, health officials said Tuesday.

So far, the swine flu has not proven to be much more dangerous than seasonal influenza, and it’s not clear whether or not pregnant women catch swine flu more often than other people. But in general, flu poses added risks for pregnant women, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pregnancy weakens a woman’s immune system, so that she’s more likely to suffer pneumonia when she catches the flu. In earlier flu pandemics, infection also raised the risk of a premature birth, said Schuchat.

So far, some 20 pregnant women have contracted the novel H1N1 virus now confirmed in more than 6,000 around the world. Three deaths have been confirmed in the United States. One of the three was a Texas woman who was pregnant. Her baby was delivered via Caesarean section while she was hospitalized.

Pregnant women with asthma and some other health conditions are particularly at risk for complications.

Risks from the virus are greater than the unknown risks to the fetus from the drugs Tamiflu and Relenza, Schuchat said at a press conference Tuesday.

“We really want to get the word out about the likely benefits of prompt antiviral treatment” for pregnant women, she said. CDC officials recommend Tamiflu for pregnant women.

Antiviral medications such as Tamiflu and Relenza can help lessen or avert complications, she said.

Most H1N1 flu patients do not require antiviral therapy to recover, a World Health Organization expert said on Tuesday, so saving such stockpiles for pregnant women and patients with underlying health conditions such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes may prove most prudent.

"We will recommend to consider the use of antivirals for high risk groups," said Nikki Shindo, a medical officer with the WHO’s global flu program.

Still, the flu medicines’ effectiveness is somewhat limited, studies have shown. They can relieve symptoms and shorten the disease by about a day. They only work if started within 48 hours of first symptoms, and little is known about whether they cut the chances of serious flu complications. Most people recover from the flu with no medical treatment.

But a 33-year-old pregnant Texas woman who had swine flu died last week, after giving birth through an emergency cesarean section. At least 20 other pregnant women have swine flu, including three who were hospitalized.

Pregnant women with confirmed or suspected cases of swine flu should take the antiviral medicines for five days, the CDC recommends.

In total, over 4,000 U.S. cases of swine flu have been confirmed through lab testing so far, most of them ages 18 and under. Officials think the actual number of infections is much higher, and that infections are still occurring.

CDC officials said the swine flu may seem to be mild now, but they worry the virus will mutate into something more dangerous. One concern is that it will combine with the more deadly but less easily spread bird flu virus that has been circulating in Asia and other parts of the world.

Another concern is that it will combine with the seasonal H1N1 virus that went around over the winter. That virus was not unusually virulent, but it was resistant to Tamiflu — the current first-line defense against the new swine flu. If the two virus strains combine, it’s possible the swine flu will become resistant to Tamiflu as well, health officials worry.

Although it remains relatively mild in the U.S., the virus is spreading so rapidly that state health officials may soon stop counting individual cases. The H1N1 virus accounted for 40 percent of flu viruses logged in the U.S. in the past week and helped propel an uptick in overall flu-like illnesses, Schuchat said in a briefing Monday.

“I think the cases we’re confirming are the tip of the iceberg here,” she said.

“They tell us for sure this virus is circulating throughout the United States and it’s likely to be in every state,” Schuchat said, adding, “It’s a time when we really need to guard against complacency as we move to a new normal.”

Symptoms similar to seasonal flu
The CDC has started tracking the novel virus using the surveillance system used for seasonal influenza, called FluView.

Of the three confirmed deaths from complications of swine flu in the U.S. — a man in his 30s, a toddler and a pregnant woman — each suffered from several other illnesses when they were infected with the virus.

Last week, the CDC also described the symptoms experienced by Americans with swine flu. About 90 percent reported fever, 84 percent reported cough and 61 percent reported a sore throat — all similar to what’s seen with seasonal flu. But about one in four cases have also involved either vomiting or diarrhea, which is not typical for the normal flu bug.

It’s possible the virus is spreading not only through coughed and sneezed droplets — as with seasonal flu — but also through feces-contaminated hands, said Dawood.

“This is a new virus and we’re still learning how transmission occurs,” she said.

About 10 percent of the Americans who got swine flu had traveled to Mexico and likely picked up the infection there.