How do swine flu vaccines work

The authors also highlight other factors that could explain this, such as immunity from an earlier swine flu infection.

A review indicates that the vaccine effectively prevented swine flu. All medicines can have side effects, including vaccines. Some common side effects for flu vaccinations may include :. In rare cases, the vaccine can cause more serious side effects that require medical attention, such as:. Influenza is seasonal because it becomes more common in the winter months but can still occur at any time of the year. There are many types of influenza, and they change each year.

Influenza A and B viruses are typically responsible for causing seasonal epidemics of disease, known as the flu season. To prevent influenza, scientists must predict the strains likely to be most common each year. The vaccines are typically either quadrivalent, recombinant, or live-attenuated. The CDC recommends that people over 6 months receive any of these vaccines annually. The and swine flu vaccines are generally safe and likely to prevent the disease.

However, the vaccine rollout caused some people to experience health complications and side effects without any risk of contracting swine flu.

However, the vaccine was effective in helping to end the H1N1 pandemic in Swine flu vaccines can cause various side effects, including fever, nausea, and headaches.

These side effects are typically minor and should resolve quickly. Many experts suggest that it is advisable for people to receive seasonal flu vaccines to help prevent or reduce the severity of illness. Swine flu, or H1N1, moved from pigs to people in and caused a pandemic. It is now a relatively common type of flu, and most people have some…. Influenza A and B are the most common types of flu in humans.

Here, learn about the differences between influenza A and B, including their symptoms…. The flu is a common illness that affects thousands of people every year. In this article, learn about how long the flu lasts, what symptoms to expect…. Flu is a respiratory illness that a virus causes. It is highly contagious and can be life threatening for some people. Drug information provided by: IBM Micromedex. Influenza virus vaccine, H1N1 is used to prevent infection caused by the influenza A H1N1 virus.

The vaccine works by causing your body to produce its own protection antibodies against the disease. It is also known as a "flu shot".

Influenza is a virus infection of the throat, bronchial tubes, and lungs. Influenza infection causes fever, chills, cough, headache, muscle aches, and pains in your back, arms, and legs. In addition, adults and children weakened by other diseases or medical conditions, and persons 50 years of age and over, even if they are healthy, may get a much more serious illness that may have to be treated in a hospital.

The recommendation that children younger than 10 years old receive 2 doses of H1N1 vaccine was based on studies of immune response to the vaccine as measured by levels of protective antibodies in the blood.

After 1 dose of vaccine, infants and young children do not make as many antibodies compared with older children and adults who get 1 dose. In addition, effectiveness of seasonal flu vaccine is much less for young children who have never been vaccinated before and only get 1 dose, compared with young children who have never been vaccinated before and get 2 doses. Persons who have some antibody from previous vaccination or exposure to infection with another related flu strain will have much greater increases in antibody to flu vaccines.

Studies that looked at blood samples taken from children before the pandemic indicate that very few children had any measurable immunity against H1N1 prior to the outbreak Therefore, all children younger than 10 should get 2 doses regardless of whether they ever have been given seasonal influenza vaccine. CDC recommends that the two doses of vaccine against H1N1 influenza virus be separated by 4 weeks.

However, if the second dose is separated from the first dose by at least 21 days, the second dose can be considered valid. People who are allergic to eggs might be at risk for allergic reactions from receiving any influenza vaccine. People who have had any of the following symptoms or experiences should consult with a doctor or other medical professional before considering any influenza vaccination:.

Because children with severe asthma are at high risk of serious complications from influenza, a regimen has been developed for giving influenza vaccine to children with severe asthma and egg hypersensitivity. So far this flu season, most flu activity has been caused by the H1N1 virus, which was first identified in April and caused the first flu pandemic in 40 years. Because many people with influenza illness are not tested for flu or are tested late in their illness, methods have been developed to estimate the numbers of people with influenza illness and with influenza-related complications, including hospitalizations and deaths.

CDC estimates that from April to January 16, , approximately 57 million cases of H1N1 occurred in the United States, including , H1N1-related hospitalizations and about 11, deaths. This data confirms that the H1N1 impacted younger adults and children more than older adults compared to seasonal flu. However, people in all age groups can develop severe illness from either seasonal flu or from H1N1.

The flu season is not over yet. As recently as January 15, 7 states were still reporting regional flu activity, so flu is still out there. Also, seasonal flu typically peaks in February and March and influenza activity can occur as late as May.

So, increased activity from either seasonal flu, H1N1 or both are still possible this season. For example, during the pandemic, flu activity dropped in December and January. Public health officials assumed the worst was over, and stopped encouraging people to get vaccinated. Then flu activity increased abruptly in February and March, and hospitalizations and deaths increased as well.

That was an important lesson—even if flu activity dies down in January, as it has this year, the season is not over. Children who are 9-years old or younger need two doses of vaccine about a month apart. There is enough vaccine for them as well.

But it is especially important for certain groups of people to get vaccinated. If you care for or live with an infant under 6 months of age babies less than 6 months old are too young to be vaccinated , you should get vaccinated, too, to prevent spreading the flu to people who are vulnerable. This is a very good time to get vaccinated.

An easy way to find out where vaccine is available in your area is by going to www. In addition, Flu. When you go to flu. CDC distributes vaccine to 62 "project areas.

CDC sends these project areas an allocation report each morning on how much of each formulation of vaccine against H1N1 influenza virus is available for them to order.

The number of doses "allocated" for ordering is the amount that is at the distribution depots and ready for states to order. The quantity of vaccine allocated is based on the project area's population size.

Project areas are responsible for registering vaccine providers in their jurisdiction.