Health: WILL A SEASONAL FLU SHOT PROTECT ME FROM H1N1 SWINE FLU?
There are many, many different viruses floating in the air during flu season. Many of them we have developed a resistance to, our body has created antibodies to defend us from them. Others we have no defense for and eventually get runny noses and coughs from them. The coming year this virus will not infect us again because we will have developed antibodies for it. The problem is that there are millions of such viruses around. There are millions in the USA and many more outside the USA . Every time a person comes into the USA from another country during flu season it is highly probable that he or she are bringing a new, totally unknown strain with them.
Seasonal flu vaccines are created using strains of influenza that have been around for a while and that are known and common to specific areas of the world. It is impossible to create a vaccine that will protect you against all viruses. A virus mutates, combines with another, and grows resistant to medication. It is alive and changing constantly. A particular strain may disappear for a while and next year return stronger and deadlier.
The H1N1 swine influenza virus is a new strain. It is very strong and very easy to spread. Its greatest strength is that when it is airborne it can infect a room full of people at the same time. Many times the virus carrier does not know he is carrying it and those getting infected will not know it for a few days either so propagation can be exponential.
Each vaccine is prepared and directed to fight against a specific influenza strain. This is the reason why sometimes flu season comes along and even though you got vaccinated you catch a cold, even a mild one. These viruses have many things in common but they are also very different. A seasonal flu shot will not prevent you from getting the H1N1 swine influenza. The H1N1 requires you to take the vaccine designed for it specifically. It is a strong virus which has emerged from the combination of two sine viruses, one human virus and a bird virus, it is absolutely new and when the epidemic started many nations around the world started working in a frenzy to come out with a vaccine for it. A seasonal vaccine you have received may make you feel better faster and help with any consequences but it will not protect you against the H1N1 swine flu virus.
Seasonal flu vaccines are much like general antibiotics you purchase in the drugstore counters. They are not specific; they protect you against the general characteristics shared by all influenza viruses. General antibiotics attack normal everyday infections not specific infections in specific areas or organs of the body. The same happens with the seasonal flu vaccines, they are directed at common characteristics of flu viruses. The H1N1 swine virus is a new strain which although it shares these common characteristics with other flu viruses it also has new strong characteristics that render the seasonal vaccines useless before it. Specific H1N1 swine flu vaccines are available, this vaccine will protect you from swine flu, others probably will not.
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