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Each strain of Flu is technically unique. No one Flu type is the same. That is, if you get the Flu one year then if you get sick again later on, it is a different flu. Because once your body has fought off a sickness it in invulnerable to it a second time.
This Swine Flu may be unique in that it is not necessarily a naturally occurring flu. Contrary to its name, swine flu does not actually come from pigs. As far as I know, no one is sure where it comes from...
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What is influenza A subtype N1H1?
H1N1 is a grouping of viruses that are subtypes of the Type A Influenza viruses. There are three types of influenza viruses that people get: Type A, Type B, and Type C. The type A H1N1 subtype of viruses are the most common cause of flu in humans (around half of all flu cases in 2006, for example). Some strains of H1N1 are also found to cause disease in other animals such as birds and pigs. The H1N1 subtype has been responsible for some major flu pandemics in recent history, for example, the post-World War 1 Spanish flu in 1918 and the 2009 swine flu pandemic (A-H1N1/09) were both due to Type A H1N1 virus subtypes.See related question below for more information about the virus that caused the 2009 Pandemic: Novel H1N1 Swine Flu also known as A-H1N1/09 virus.
If you have had Asian flu in the 1956 pandemic might you have some immunity to Swine Flu?
No, probably not. There is genetic material from Asian Pig Influenza in the A-H1N1/09 "Swine Flu", but it also has components of Avian (bird) Flu, European Pig Influenza and Human Flu. The new strain is very different from prior strains of the H1N1 flu or any other Type A Influenza viruses, so there should be no antibodies effective for A-H1N1/09m
What is a novel influenza?
The word novel used in this context means new or unusual. The 2009 pandemic swine flu H1N1/09 was initially dubbed the Novel Influenza by the CDC as a means of identification in communications since it was a brand new and never before seen subtype of influenza unnamed at the time. So if someone refers to novel influenza, they are likely currently talking about H1N1/09 swine flu.
Why is H1N1 sometimes called Swine Flu?
H5N1 is the avian flu virus. There are some confined areas of the world that up to half the pig population is testing positive for H5N1, without showing any symptoms. Pigs can carry this as well as human flu viruses. There is some concern that if a pig is carrying both, the viruses can combine and mutate into a new strain that will be easily passed among humans.
What does the H1N1 vaccine cover?
Originally in 2009 the vaccine for the pandemic swine flu was a monovalent vaccine, which means it was made to only prevent that one type of flu. Then for the 2010-2011 flu season, a trivalent vaccine was made for the regular flu just like every year. Trivalent means it is made to cover/prevent three different kinds of influenza virus infections. For the most recent flu season in the Northern Hemisphere, the "regular" flu shot contained the vaccine for swine flu and two others. So, the monovalent H1N1 vaccine covered only one type of flu: the pandemic swine flu. But the trivalent seasonal flu vaccines cover three types of flu (one of which, for the 2010 - 2011 flu season, is Swine flu H1N1/09).
Was the flu shot for 2010-2011 flu season also for the H1N1 virus?
Yes , one strain of H1N1 influenza is included in the 2010-2011 seasonal flu vaccine in the US, but not all of them are. The H1N1 Pandemic "Swine" Flu from 2009 is the strain that will be included.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:The flu vaccine protects against the three main flu strains that research indicates will cause the most illness during the flu season. This year's influenza vaccine contains three new influenza virus strains.They are:A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus (the same strain as was used for 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccines);A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus;B/Brisbane 60/2008-like antigens.The 2010-11 influenza vaccine can protect you from getting sick from these three viruses, or it can make your illness milder if you get a related but different influenza virus strain.See the related links below for more information about the effectiveness of flu vaccine.
What side effect does the H1N1 vaccine have on an unborn child?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the inactivated ("dead") virus vaccines for pregnant women. The nasal mists containing live weakened virus is not approved for pregnant women. The risk to the unborn fetus was considered in the trials and approval process. The guidance from the CDC is very clear that the risk of not getting vaccinated against A-H1N1/09 to pregnant women and their unborn fetus is much greater than the risk of using the vaccines. Obstetricians are recommending H1N1/09 vaccinations to their patients. The vaccine is made exactly like the seasonal flu shots have been made for decades with a proven safety record, so there is no reason to think the same vaccine made with inert particles from a different virus strain would prove any less safe.The following are excerpts from a September 3, 2009guidance document from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine and Pregnant Women:Influenza vaccines have not been shown to cause harm to a pregnant woman or her baby. The seasonal flu shot (injection) is proven as safe and already recommended for pregnant women. The 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine will be made using the same processes and facilities that are used to make seasonal influenza vaccines.It is important for a pregnant woman to receive the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine as well as a seasonal influenza vaccine. A pregnant woman who gets any type of flu is at risk for serious complications and hospitalization. Pregnant women who are otherwise healthy have been severely impacted by the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus (formerly called "novel H1N1 flu" or "swine flu"). In comparison to the general population, a greater proportion of pregnant women infected with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus have been hospitalized. In addition, severe illness and death has occurred in pregnant women. Six percent of confirmed fatal 2009 H1N1 flu cases thus far have been in pregnant women while only about 1% of the general population is pregnant. While hand washing, staying away from ill people, and other steps can help to protect pregnant women from influenza, vaccination is the single best way to protect against the flu.There are two types of flu vaccine. Pregnant women should get the "flu shot"- an inactivated vaccine (containing fragments of killed influenza virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in pregnant women. The other type of flu vaccine - nasal-spray flu vaccine (sometimes called LAIV for "live attenuated influenza vaccine)-is not currently approved for use in pregnant women. This vaccine is made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu). LAIV (FluMist®) is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant. In addition to protecting her from infection, infants less than 6 months old will not be able to be vaccinated so it is recommended that everyone who lives with or provides care for infants less than 6 months of age receive both the seasonal influenza vaccine and 2009 H1N1 influenza monovalent vaccine to provide protection for the infant.One recent study conducted in Bangladesh, assessed the effectiveness of influenza immunization for mothers and their young infants. Inactivated influenza vaccine reduced proven influenza illness by 63% in infants up to 6 months of age. This study confirmed that maternal influenza immunization is a strategy with substantial benefits for both mothers and infants. There is no evidence that thimerosal (used as a preservative in vaccine packaged in multi-dose vials) is harmful to a pregnant woman or a fetus. However, because some women are concerned about exposure to preservatives during pregnancy, manufacturers will produce preservative-free seasonal and 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines in single dose syringes for pregnant women and small children. CDC recommends that pregnant women may receive influenza vaccine with or without thimerosal. People for whom the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine is recommended should receive it, even if they have had an influenza-like illness previously, unless they can be certain they had 2009 H1N1 influenza based on a laboratory test that can specifically detect 2009 H1N1 viruses. CDC recommends that persons who were tested for 2009 H1N1 influenza discuss this issue with a healthcare provider to see if the test they had was either an RT-PCR or a viral culture that showed 2009 H1N1 influenza. There is no harm in being vaccinated if you had 2009 H1N1 influenza in the past.Pregnant women are encouraged to get vaccinated against the flu. As always, when pregnant, check with your obstetrician before taking any medication.You should not get the vaccine if you are allergic to eggs** or sulfa drugs. Inform your health care professional if you have ever had a severe (life-threatening) allergy to eggs or to any other substance in a vaccine (some vaccines contain traces of neoporin, gentamicin and polymixin).**New studies show that an allergy to eggs, or other chicken proteins, may not prohibit some people from getting a flu vaccination. See the related questions for more information.See the related links section below for a link to the full CDC guidance document.
Are flu pills bad when your pregnant?
See also the related question below for the current recommendations fromthe American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.My doctor actually recommended I get the flu shot while I was pregnant. I did and everything is still going fine.Here in UK pregnant women are not on the list of people who should receive flu shots, but I was asked this question (I am a midwife) and did some research and in US pregnant women are up there with the elderly, people with heart/lung disease and diabetics as people who should have flu shots.I have copied this over from the CDC website:"Is it safe for pregnant women to receive an influenza vaccine that contains thimerosal? Yes. A study of influenza vaccination examining over 2,000 pregnant women demonstrated no adverse fetal effects associated with influenza vaccine. Case reports and limited studies indicate that pregnancy can increase the risk for serious medical complications of influenza. One study found that out of every 10,000 women in their third trimester of pregnancy during an average flu season, 25 will be hospitalized for flu related complications.The trace amounts of mercury from the thimerosal in vaccinations (a preservative) are about the same amount as you would get from a single meal of fish.The following excerpts from a September 3, 2009 guidance document from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are about the H1N1/09 Influenza Vaccine and Pregnant Women:Influenza vaccines have not been shown to cause harm to a pregnant woman or her baby. The seasonal flu shot (injection) is proven as safe and already recommended for pregnant women. The 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine will be made using the same processes and facilities that are used to make seasonal influenza vaccines.It is important for a pregnant woman to receive the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine as well as a seasonal influenza vaccine. A pregnant woman who gets any type of flu is at risk for serious complications and hospitalization. Pregnant women who are otherwise healthy have been severely impacted by the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus (formerly called "novel H1N1 flu" or "swine flu"). In comparison to the general population, a greater proportion of pregnant women infected with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus have been hospitalized. In addition, severe illness and death has occurred in pregnant women. Six percent of confirmed fatal 2009 H1N1 flu cases thus far have been in pregnant women while only about 1% of the general population is pregnant. While hand washing, staying away from ill people, and other steps can help to protect pregnant women from influenza, vaccination is the single best way to protect against the flu.There are two types of flu vaccine. Pregnant women should get the "flu shot"- an inactivated vaccine (containing fragments of killed influenza virus) that is given with a needle, usually in the arm. The flu shot is approved for use in pregnant women. The other type of flu vaccine - nasal-spray flu vaccine (sometimes called LAIV for "live attenuated influenza vaccine)-is not currently approved for use in pregnant women. This vaccine is made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu). LAIV (FluMist®) is approved for use in healthy* people 2-49 years of age who are not pregnant. In addition to protecting her from infection, infants less than 6 months old will not be able to be vaccinated so it is recommended that everyone who lives with or provides care for infants less than 6 months of age receive both the seasonal influenza vaccine and 2009 H1N1 influenza monovalent vaccine to provide protection for the infant.One recent study conducted in Bangladesh, assessed the effectiveness of influenza immunization for mothers and their young infants. Inactivated influenza vaccine reduced proven influenza illness by 63% in infants up to 6 months of age. This study confirmed that maternal influenza immunization is a strategy with substantial benefits for both mothers and infants. There is no evidence that thimerosal (used as a preservative in vaccine packaged in multi-dose vials) is harmful to a pregnant woman or a fetus. However, because some women are concerned about exposure to preservatives during pregnancy, manufacturers will produce preservative-free seasonal and 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines in single dose syringes for pregnant women and small children. CDC recommends that pregnant women may receive influenza vaccine with or without thimerosal. People for whom the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine is recommended should receive it, even if they have had an influenza-like illness previously, unless they can be certain they had 2009 H1N1 influenza based on a laboratory test that can specifically detect 2009 H1N1 viruses. CDC recommends that persons who were tested for 2009 H1N1 influenza discuss this issue with a healthcare provider to see if the test they had was either an RT-PCR or a viral culture that showed 2009 H1N1 influenza. There is no harm in being vaccinated if you had 2009 H1N1 influenza in the past.Pregnant women are encouraged to get vaccinated against the seasonal strains of influenza in addition to the A-H1N1/09 vaccine. That vaccine for seasonal flu is already distributed and available for use. The two kinds of vaccine (seasonal flu and "Swine Flu") must both be taken for complete protection from both kinds of flu in the upcoming flu season.Always check with your obstetrician before taking any medications in pregnancy. Your doctor may also be planning on administering the vaccines to patients.Note about H1N1 vaccines approved for use in the UK:These vaccines are slightly different from the vaccines approved for use in the US for A-H1N1/09, but are still recommended by the NHS for pregnant women. The difference is mostly that they contain adjuvants in the UK. See the related question below about swine flu shot ingredients.
Can you get Swine Flu from raising a pig?
Yes, the original swine flu (the flu that pigs got) began to be crossed into humans (infrequently) even before the Novel H1N1 influenza strain mutated and started to infect people. Farmers and young people who raise and show pigs at agricultural evens spend time in close contact with the pigs and in so doing are capable of catching the original H1N1 virus from them. Now with the Pandemic Swine Flu, it is also possible to give and get that strain of influenza to and from the pigs.
What does H1N1 'SOIV' mean?
SOIV = Swine Origin Influenza Virus (or as some say: Swine Originated Influenza Virus.This acronym was first used in the April 29, 2009 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), by researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to mean "swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus,". They also used "S-OIV" for short. The same name also appeared in a paper May 7, 2009 in The New England Journal of Medicine. But, on the day before that, in the May 6, 2009 issue of MMWR, the CDC had already coined the different name "novel influenza A (H1N1) virus".SOIV is also what some public health organizations in Canada began to use to refer to A-H1N1/09, the Pandemic Swine Flu. The nomenclature of flu viruses is not standardized, and because of the negative repercussions that pigs (with slaughter in some countries) and Mexico's tourist industry have felt by having their names so closely associated with the virus, it has been an ever changing evolution of names during the early parts of the pandemic.The A-H1N1/09 Virus still has different names in other countries as well, for example: it is called Schweinegrippe in Germany, la Grippe A in France, Mexican Flu in the Netherlands, SOIV (Swine Origin Influenza Virus) in Canada, and la Epidemia in Mexico.The H1N1 refers to the Hemagglutinin type (H1) and Neuraminidase type (N1) there are about 14 H types and 9 N types, and Influenza can have any combination of those. The H and N are proteins that are on the outer virus coat, called a capsid. They have specific functions for allowing the virus to invade host cells and the "offspring" to be released by the cells once produced. Our immune systems create antibodies that search for foreign invaders and they can use these proteins to identify the virus and create cells able to destroy it. These surface proteins are also mutated by some viruses to make them unidentifiable by the antibodies, and that is what can create a new strain of influenza.
Why is everyone getting worried about Swine Flu?
Many people are worried about the swine flu outbreak(actually a subtype of H1N1 influenza type A) because since it is a new form of the virus, so almost nobody has any immunity against it.
What are the scientific name and other names for the H1N1-09 swine influenza?
A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)v-like virus is the name of the specific strain that is used to create the vaccines for the Pandemic A-H1N1/09 flu. See below for details on this scientific nomenclature.One of the more commonly used original names for this pandemic flu was Influenza A, Novel H1N1 Virus (formerly 2009 Swine Flu) and was the name that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) coined and used until they conformed with the World Health Organization (WHO) and began calling it H1N1/09 Pandemic swine flu.It began being called the Pandemic H1N1/09 Virus by WHO in July 2009 and this is the more commonly used name in the US. And many scientific papers are using H1N1pdm (pdm to represent Pandemic).It is an Influenza Virus type A, H1N1 is the subtype. As mentioned above, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization have called it Influenza A, Novel H1N1 Virus. You may also see it written as the "Novel H1N1 Influenza virus", or "Novel Influenza A, H1N1 virus."What does the H1N1 part mean?:These Type A viruses have a protein coating that surrounds them, called a capsid. The surface proteins making up the capsid in this virus strain are haemagglutinin and neuraminidase. These surface proteins are the proteins that can be changed when viruses mutate into new forms allowing them to attack the host cells in different ways and to evade the immunological system of the host.In the naming convention of viruses, the protein classifications become part of the name as in H1N1; H for the haemagglutinin and N for the neuraminidase. There are different subtypes of viruses using the H and N nomenclature, for example the H5N1 subtype is the Avian (Bird) Flu.Why change from Swine Flu?:From a July 7, 2009 Press Briefing by World Health Organization's Dr. Fukuda, who said that WHO has decided to call Influenza A, Novel H1N1: Pandemic H1N1/09 Virus (although, as of early August 2009 this name is not yet being consistently used)."As you know, since the emergence of the pandemic, the name of the virus has been a difficult issue for many reasons. In the past, we have seen how the naming of viruses by location can stigmatize those locations and we have also seen in this and in other episodes where associating the virus with one animal species or another, can really cause both anxiety and then fears about food and in this particular instance, about pork.So, in recognition of those issues, what WHO, FAO and OIE did, actually some weeks ago, was to get together several of the experts who work in these organizations and with many of the laboratory experts who work with these organizations, and then we had a meeting - a virtual meeting - in which these issues were discussed and one of the things that we wanted to do was make sure that any naming of the virus was scientifically accurate but also would avoid any kind of adverse reactions to the name or to minimize those as much as possible. Based on those discussions, what the experts decided, calling this a pandemic H1N1/09 virus was a good way to distinguish it from the current seasonal H1N1 viruses and to do so, in a way which was scientifically sound, but also would avoid some of the stigma associated with other options."The name in other countries:In some countries they still call it Pig Flu, but usually when a virus is called Pig Flu it is in reference to the type of flu that hogs get, not the types that humans get such as the Novel H1N1/09 influenza (2009 Swine Flu). In some places around the world it is also still called the "Mexican Flu", and in France it is la grippe porcine. It is called Schweinegrippe in Germany, Mexican Flu in the Netherlands, SOIV (Swine Origin Influenza Virus) or H1N1-SOIV in Canada, and la epidemia in Mexico. In Turkey it is called "Domuz Gribi" which means "Pink ill". Other common names are Swine influenza, hog flu, pig flu, swine influenza virus (SIV), and H1N1.Why Swine Flu in the first place?:The original swine flu is known as influenza type A, H1N1. The new H1N1/09 Pandemic swine flu originated from a pig who had the original/normal pig flu and then this same pig caught the bird flu H5N1. These viruses combined to make a new and bad case of the flu, and this pig gave it to other pigs. Eventually, one of the pigs infected with the flu that was a combination of bird flu and pig flu, then caught the human flu, which "mixed together" in that pig with the other two types of viruses making an even worse case of the flu with all three types of genetic material. This pig spread that new "triple reassortant" virus to more pigs. When pigs with the triple reassortant virus came in close contact with a human, probably a farm worker, and the human caught this bad flu, from then on it has been spreading around the world. The name has stuck and so it is still called the Swine Flu, Swine Influenza, Hog Flu, and Pig Flu in some places to the chagrin of the Pork Producers Association. See the related question below about what caused the pandemic swine flu for more detail on how the reassortant process created the new strain of pandemic flu.NomenclatureThe naming convention for virus strains such as the one used to produce the pandemic A-H1N1/09 vaccine [ A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)v-like virus ] is explained below. Using this example of a name of a specific viral subtype/strain: A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virusA = Type A influenza. There are three types of influenza: A, B, and C. CALIFORNIA = The location the strain was first identified.7 = The strain identification number.2009 = The year the strain was identified.H1N1 = The antigenic characterization of the H and N proteins.[Antigenic characterization is a method used to describe influenza proteins neuraminidase (N) and hemagglutinnin (H) and how they have changed.](See "What Caused the 2009 Swine Flu" in related questions below.)
