What did the vaccine prevent?

Answer 1

Each vaccination is specific for certain diseases. The seasonal flu vaccinations usually cover the three most likely types of seasonal flu that will be expected to be in your part of the world during the flu season, and would be to prevent you from getting those specific types of flu. The seasonal flu shot for 2009 - 2010 will not provide immunity for the A-H1N1/09 Pandemic "Swine Flu". A second series of two vaccination shots will be necessary for the A-H1N1/09 virus, once that vaccine is released to the first group to have priority to get the vaccinations. Local public health officials will publish when that is available, to whom, and where.

For the Northern Hemisphere's 2009 Flu season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
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/Brisbane/59/2007(H1N1)-like virus;
• A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus;
• B/Brisbane 60/2008-like antigens.

The 2009-10 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.

Answer 2

The trivalent flu vaccines prevent infections by the three types of influenza that scientists and epidemiologists have determined through studies will be the most likely to be circulating during the upcoming flu season.

For the 2011-2012 Flu season in the US and Northern Hemisphere, the vaccines that the CDC approved include vaccines against the following three types of flu:

1. A/California/7/09 (H1N1)-like virus (Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza virus)

2. A/Perth/16/2009/ (H3N2)-like virus

3. B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus

Influenza (flu) is caused by viruses and the vaccinations evoke an immune response to create antibodies that will rapidly inactivate the viruses so your body can eliminate them. The viruses contained in the flu vaccines are either inert ("dead"), or "live" which means they are active but weakened significantly, so they are unable to cause infections but are still strong enough to trigger your immune response and provide the resulting immunization.

Answer 3

Vaccines protect those vaxinated from catching the disease that the vaccine is made for, eg polio, mumps, etc.

Vaccines are beeing made and developed for a whole range of diseases including those caused by viruses, bacteria and paracites.