Swine Flu (H1N1/09)

If you can, get a vaccination. Flu vaccines made the same as those today are proven safe and effective over decades of use, and, although there is risk in most any medical treatment or medication, the risk is much lower than the risk of suffering the flu and the related complications that can come with it (including the 36,000 deaths per year in the US that are due to the flu).

If you can not get a vaccination, then see the related questions below for information on alternative ways to protect yourself.

Everyone should take the precautions outlined in the related questions even if they are getting vaccinated. The flu vaccination is effective for the 3 types (or 4 types in one vaccine**) of flu viruses that were selected by the CDC to be included this year and perhaps effective for other flu viruses that are very similar. But, there are many other possible influenza viruses that might be circulating that will not be covered by immunization from the flu vaccinations, as well as cold viruses and other infectious microbes that the precautions will protect beyond what the vaccine will.

If you are allergic to eggs, you may still be able to get the flu shot, see also below for more information on this new advice from allergists.

Also see the information about the new intradermal vaccination for the flu that uses a 90% smaller needle, if you are needle-averse and thinking of not getting a vaccination for this reason. Some people can also get intranasal mists for the vaccination.


** Starting in the 2012-2013 flu season, there is a new vaccine that contains 4 types of flu viruses instead of the traditional 3 types. It is called quadravalent (the originals are trivalent). See the related questions for more about the new vaccine and who can use it.

Farms, and other livestock locations.

A piglet.

New flu viruses develop most often in Asia and then circulate throughout the rest of the world. For the Northern Hemisphere in the western regions, the scientists and epidemiologists look to Asia to see what types of flu are circulating during their flu season as these will be the most likely to be circulating elsewhere in the world that year.

The vaccines are either trivalent or quadrivalent (i.e., contain three or four kinds of flu viruses) and are made with those flu viruses selected by the scientists as most likely, utilizing various criteria for selection.

The types and strains finally chosen to be included in the annual vaccines are chosen by collaboration between the CDC, WHO, and the disease control and prevention agencies in other nations. These infectious disease specialists not only select the type of viruses needed to be included that year, but also help isolate, grow and select the specific strains that are more easily grown, closest to the types found circulating in Asia, and able to be used in creation of vaccines.

The vaccines are developed by pharmaceutical companies who get the seed stock of viruses for use in the vaccines from the epidemiologists, (in the US from the CDC). The only thing that is changed each year is the specific group of viruses included, the rest of the vaccine is made the same each year and has been for decades.

If the symptoms are severe as you say, these could be symptoms of a serious infection. Most people faced with these symptoms in an infant would contact a medical professional urgently, or go to the Emergency Room for treatment, especially if there is a combination of fever and rash.

It is a result of a fluid/electrolyte imbalance, therefore the flu and any infections or diseases that can cause dehydration, can create an imbalance that could include hypokalemia (or perhaps hyperkalemia as well if the dehydration is severe enough to cause kidney malfunction).

The "electrolytes" are salts the body needs for proper functioning, including the conduction of electricity for proper function of muscle coordination, fluid absorption, nerve function, heart function, and fluid excretion. In addition to potassium (K+), the electrolytes include sodium (Na+), chloride, calcium, and magnesium. When there is not enough postassium in the blood, that condition is called hypokalemia. Too much postassium in the blood is called hyperkalemia.

The proper balance between the body fluids and these electrolytes can be disrupted when there is dehydration from vomiting, fever, and diarrhea that sometimes accompany the flu. Poor diet, other diseases, kidney malfunction, diuretics and other medications can also result in imbalances. There is a narrow margin of fluctuation tolerated by the body, and symptoms of this imbalance can be quickly realized with slight changes in fluid and electrolyte balances.

This is one reason why you hear the frequent advice to drink plenty of fluids when you have a cold or flu.

You would have to pass a legal bill requiring all Americans to receive the treatment, however even if one could get such a bill passed the idea is absolutely ridiculous because the costs involved to get the vaccine, as well as pay professionals to administer it would be ridiculous. Even if one had such finances, you couldn't guarantee that everyone would receive the vaccine because a lot of people are against them.

In the US, in New York, they did enact a law that certain workers in health care, who had close contact with patients, must be vaccinated against H1N1/09 to continue to do that work. The rationale was that the public legislators made the rights of patients take priority over the rights of licensed workers. It was felt that patients, some of whom may not be conscious, were at high risk to contract and have complications from the co-morbidity of their underlying reason for hospitalization and H1N1/09. In some cases the workers who did not want to be vaccinated could either be reassigned to jobs that were not in direct contact with patients (if the employer allowed), or find other employment. There were some situations where the employer had to reassign those with medical reasons (like allergic reactions) why they could not take the vaccination.

no they might gradually come on

Possibly you may have some symtoms. If you shared the smoke, you are most likely to have consumed the germs and you might have swine flu.

Yes, depending on the type of reaction. If it is an allergic reaction with a generalized skin rash or hives, you should contact your health care professional to report it and ask if you need to be examined. Health care providers are expected to report these reactions for the vaccine monitoring program although, you could report it yourself, too. If there are any symptoms of breathing difficulty, swelling in the face or lips or severe swelling at the site of the injection then seek immediate medical attention to prevent potential anaphylactic shock.

If, however, the reaction is confined to the local area of the injection and demonstrates only slight swelling, warmth, redness and/or pain on movement or when touched at the location, then that is a common reaction caused by your immune system to the injected vaccination, not an allergic reaction. This soreness can also be accompanied by slight fever, malaise and an achy feeling as your immune system responds to the vaccine, but should be gone in only a few days. The soreness upon movement will improve the more you use the arm or if you put a warm moist towel on it several times a day. If these localized symptoms at the location of the shot last more than a few days, contact your health care professional for advice.

See the related links for this question to find a link to the web site to report reactions or side effects of vaccinations.

If you have proof from laboratory testing that you currently have the A-H1N1/09 "Swine Flu", then there would be no reason to get the vaccine because having the flu itself will provide the same or better immunity as the vaccine.

However, if you have not had the specific strain of flu proven by laboratory testing, you should go ahead and take the vaccination for A-H1N1/09 just to be certain that you are protected in case the symptoms you had were not from this specific strain of influenza. It will not hurt to have the vaccine after having had the same type of flu and it is a "better safe than sorry" scenario.

It is better to wait until after any signs of any type of infection (viral or bacterial) are gone before getting flu vaccines, especially if there is any fever.

Not even close, actually. The flu is usually a mild viral infection that affects the lungs and respiratory system, although in some people it can prove deadly. Our bodies typically can get rid the viral infection in 7 to 10 days in otherwise healthy adults.

On the other hand, if you are talking about the plague that was pandemic throughout Europe and much of Asia in the 14th century that was known as bubonic plague, it was caused by bacteria and not a virus. Our bodies can succumb rapidly to untreated severe bacterial infections. At the time, antibiotics were not yet invented and around 70% of those infected died. The bacteria that caused "Black Plague", named for the big black "blisters" (buboes) it caused, was spread by rats and is called plague bacillus, Yersinia pestis.

Yes it does weaken and die with time if it does not find a host. Some virus have a life span of just a few hours, and some can lurk as many as 3-5 days. Your best bet is when in doubt, (or any publicly shared area) is to disinfect!

Phlegm is mucous. It is generally referred to as "phlegm" and sometimes as "sputum" when referring to mucous found in the throat or expelled from the lungs/bronchial passages by way of a cough.

Swine Flu is recognized by the symbols h1n1. H stands for hemagglutinin and N stands for neuraminidase. I believe the numbers have to due with the structures of these proteins that compromise this particular strain.

There are so many variables in that question it is hard to answer. Read the label on the cleaning products and follow all directions for use exactly as described.

The answer can depend on many things, such as:

What do you use to clean the shower? Do you have any allergies to the chemicals used? Did you rise the chemicals off or are you standing in the chemicals? Do the chemicals make the shower floor slick? Did you follow all instructions on the product label? Are there fumes left that you should ventilate before entering the shower after the product was used?

In most cases, it will be safer to use after cleaning than before, but don't guess, find out about the specific method you used to clean it and any advice on the label.

It depends where you get hit in the nose. If you get hit in the top where the bone is it while hurt for a while as the bone hardens as you age which makes hurt just a bit more every other time. I am 11 and have fractured my nose 3 times by either getting elbowed or punched all accidentally. It does hurt a lot but will disappear over time. If you just touch the nose on the bone or down below in more of the cartilage area, you can really feel the bone and cartilage and how it would hurt if you got hit there.

According to their website, Viibryd will be available in pharmacies during the second quarter of 2011 for treatment of depression.

See the FDA approval press release via the link in the related links section below.

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Healthy eating and foods that are known to improve the function of the immune system, such as Vit C, will help your body have a proper immune response to be able to develop antibodies to the viruses contained in the flu vaccines. The foods would be to boost the immune system and your general health, though, not to enhance the development of the specific antibodies to the viral contents of the vaccine.

The flu vaccines approved for use in the US for the 2010-2011 flu season may contain thimerosal (used as a preservative), however, some do not and the amount in the ones that do is reduced to a very scant amount through a secondary purification process. The amount that is in a dose from the multi-dose vials is less mercury than you would get in a single meal of fish.

The nasal mist forms of the vaccines contain no preservatives.

In the 2009 flu season when the H1N1 flu vaccine was available in single dose vials and syringes, the thimerosal dose was insignificant or eliminated totally, leaving at most, ≤ 1 mcg mercury per 0.5-mL dose.

Each 0.5-mL dose from the multidose vials contains 25 mcg mercury, which is as mentioned above, less than a single meal of fish contains.

Nasal spray forms of the vaccine contain no preservatives, therefore no mercury or thimerosal.

In the UK and other countries outside the US, this may be different since the vaccines there typically do contain thimerosal as a preservative. But again, the amount is not considered significant in the general population.

Right now not in any way after what I've heard but if it spreads more and more ppl get sick certain planes, trains and busses will get canceled because you have no one who can drive them. Hotels and restaurants might have to close if they have a epidemic or the ppl who works there get ill. British airlines stepped up restrictions on Sunday on travellers who are traveling to and from Britain, as a report said four more British students quarantined in China had been confirmed as having H1N1 flu. Britain is Europe's worst-hit territory, with estimates of 55,000 new cases last week. Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic said they had put in place measures to turn back passengers showing symptoms. === ===