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According to the World Health Organization, efforts for developing a swine flu vaccine has been ongoing since the first human case of the virus has been confirmed. Estimates place the initial doses of the vaccine will be administered in 5 to 6 months time.

While people diagnosed with H1N1 virus seems to be headed for recovery, there have been deaths recorded. Aside from that, receiving vaccines for this virus is important particularly the elderly and individuals with a weak immune system, since they are prone to complications such as pneumonia.

Likewise, the vaccine will serve as protection in case the condition persists particularly during the winter months which is the time when influenza is at its peak.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), although they are still incomplete, current evidence shows that seasonal influenza vaccines will provide minimal or no protection against swine flu. Every year, a new batch of flu vaccine is developed and matched with strains that the WHO determines will most probably circulate in the winter months, which happens to be the peak season for influenza outbreaks.

Influenza virus comes in various strains which contains different proteins on their surfaces. The body’s immune system can only fight and destroy a virus if they are able to recognize these proteins. It is worth noting that antibodies that recognize one strain may not detect other strains.

Existing vaccines may only offer some protection against swine influenza if the proteins on its surface are identical to strains used to develop previous vaccines. According to the NIBSC, they are trying to determine if the swine flu virus, which is an H1N1 strain of type A influenza, as well as previous H1N1 vaccines match current vaccines.

The preparation of a vaccine commences after a virus develops as they provide the starting point for the production of the vaccine. As such, there is always a time delay while a vaccine is being developed. Preparation of a vaccine involves several steps so it would take several months before a vaccine becomes available.

According to WHO estimates, the virus needed for producing the vaccine will be accessible to vaccine manufacturers by the middle of May while the initial dose for a new vaccine would be ready within 5 to 6 months after that. Waiting time would be much longer if the growth of the vaccine proceeds rapidly.

Vaccination plays a crucial role in the prevention and reduction of the effects of serious conditions. Unfortunately, they are not entirely effective and could lose its effectiveness if the virus mutates.

Existing flu vaccines are valid for about one year and are 70% – 80% effective against transmission with strains of influenza virus that are identical to strains used in the production of vaccines.

The WHO believes that it is too early to tell how the A(H1N1) virus would change. It is closely monitoring any changes in the virus and this would help countries quickly react to any important changes that the virus may show.

Vaccines help the body combat certain diseases in case an individual becomes afflicted with the illness in the future. On the other hand, an antiviral drug is used on people who is already infected with a virus. Although they work in various ways, they generally work to prevent the virus from spreading to different cells in the body.

Swine flu vaccines are administered prior to exposure to a virus so they would be protected from that agent. Antivirals only work if administered within a certain period of time before or after they are exposed to the virus.

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Your Family And Swine Flu – How to Avoid Serious Complications Later

Individuals with some underlying health conditions, have a higher likelihood for complications or even death if they get the swine flu. The diseases that put you at higher risk include; frequent chest colds, asthma, COPD, emphysema, and other respiratory conditions. Some babies can have a very mild case of asthma even though they’ve never had an asthma attack. When this occurs, a swine flu outbreak can be an extremely dangerous situation. If a member of your family has any of the diseases listed above, you should make it a point to call your doctor immediately and discuss precautions you and your family should take regarding the H1N1 even before an outbreak occurs in your area.

If an outbreak of H1N1 occurs and your baby has a lung condition like asthma, your baby may be at risk for serious complications or even death. It is well documented that people who suffer from asthma have a much higher chance of having severe complications than others.

In fact, almost 41% of swine flu hospital patients in New York City suffered from asthma. And within the past few weeks, 7 swine flu deaths were reported in New York. Of those seven deaths, 6 of them involved people who had asthma. If you are concerned about your family and swine flu regarding an asthmatic condition, you should call your doctor and see if he recommends any special precautions regarding the swine flu even if there is no flu in the area where you live.

H1N1 is a virus that induces influenza in humans. The pathogen has gone thru a mutation into its present form. Due to this mutation, humans have no immunity to the virus. This is why authorities are concerned regarding the possibility of a pandemic.

Like the typical seasonal influenza, serious complications and death has happened as a result of illness associated with this virus. On a global basis, about 250,000 people die yearly from influenza related complications.

If you are concerned about your family and swine flu, safeguarding your family, or know someone that has one of the diseases listed above, do some preparations now, to avoid problems later. Do what is necessary to protect yourself and your family from the swine flu. Once an outbreak occurs, it may be too late to do anything.

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The 2009 flu pandemic is a global outbreak of a new strain of influenza virus, officially named the “new H1N1,” first identified in April 2009, and commonly called “Swine flu.”

It is thought to be a mutation of four known strains of the influenza A virus, subtype H1N1: one endemic in (normally infecting) humans, one endemic in birds, and two endemic in pigs.

Transmission of the new strain is human-to-human, with cooked pork products safe to eat as the virus cannot be transmitted by eating foods.

Virus source

The new virus is a type of swine influenza derived originally from a strain that lived in pigs. This origin gave rise to the common name of swine flu. Despite this origin, however, the current strain is transmitted between people, not from swine.

Symptoms

The signs of infection with swine flu are similar to other forms of influenza, and includes fever, coughing, headaches, pain in the muscles or joints, sore throat, chills, fatigue and runny nose. Diarrhea, vomiting and neurological problems have also been reported in some cases.

Severe symptoms

Certain symptoms may require emergency medical attention. In children, signs of respiratory distress, for instance, those might include blue lips and skin, dehydration, rapid breathing, excessive sleeping, seizures and significant irritability that includes a lack of desire to be held.

In adults, shortness of breath, pain in chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness or confusion may indicate the need for emergency care. In both children and adults, persistent vomiting or the return of flu-like symptoms that include a fever and cough may require medical attention.

The virus can survive on environmental surfaces and can infect a person 2 to 8 hours after being deposited on the surface.

Tap water treated by conventional disinfection processes does not likely pose a risk for transmission of influenza viruses.

Pneumonia

Influenza infection can cause pneumonia leading to death. This is typically described as either viral pneumonia, which has a rapid onset, often within one day after infection, or bacterial pneumonia, which often begins a week after infection after symptoms begins to subside.

Viral pneumonia is sometimes attributed to ‘cy-tokine storm,’ in which an overly active immune response damages lungs. Reports of deaths among healthy youth during first weeks of 2009 flu pandemic were attributed to this cause.

Prevention

Personal hygiene: Measures to avoid flu infection include: vaccination when available, thorough and frequent hand washing, balanced diet with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein, sufficient sleep, exercise and avoiding crowds.

Airborne virus prevention

Masks may be of benefit in ‘crowded settings’ or for people who are in ‘close contact’ with infected persons, defined as 1 meter or less by the World Health Organization. In these cases, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended respirators classified as N95, but it is unknown whether they would prevent swine flu infection. According to mask manufacturer 3M, there are no “established exposure limits for biological agents” such as swine flu virus.

The UK Health Protection Agency considers facial masks unnecessary for general public.

Airline hygiene

Some airlines have modified hygiene procedures to minimise travel health risks on international flights. Asian carriers have stepped up cabin cleaning, installed State-of-the-art air filters and allowed in-flight staff to wear face masks, with some replacing used pillows, blankets, headset covers and headrest covers, while others have begun disinfecting the cabins of all aircraft.

Hygiene practices such as covering the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing in confined areas may be the best way to limit infection.

Try to: Co-ver your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze; Wash your hands often with soap and water. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective; Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth; Try to avoid close contact with sick people; If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone.

Home remedies

There are a number of ways to help ease symptoms, including adequate liquid intake and rest, soup to ease congestion, and over-the-counter drugs to relieve pain. Aspirin is very effective for treating fever in adults although in children and adolescents, aspirin is not usually given due to risk of Reye’s syndrome. While over-the-counter drugs relieve sym-ptoms, they do not kill the virus.

Antiviral drugs

Antiviral drugs can be given to treat those who become severely ill, two of which are recommended for swine flu symptoms: Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and Zanamivir (Relenza). They work by deactivating an enzyme the virus needs to grow and spread.

Possible side effects

Both medications can cause side effects, including lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and trouble breathing.

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