Swine flu vaccine is in everyone's thoughts. Who hasn’t heard about the swine flu and the vacine required to counter this disease? It has its origins in pig populations but has curiously developed a strain that affects human beings. Swine influenza or Swine flu is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus or SIV is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs. Swine influenza virus is common throughout pig populations worldwide. Transmission of the virus from pigs to humans is not common and does not always lead to human influenza, often resulting only in the production of antibodies in the blood.
People who work with poultry and swine, especially people with intense exposures, are at an increased risk of zoonotic infection with influenza virus endemic in these animals, and constitute a population of human hosts in which zoonosis and reassortment can co-occur. Vaccination of these workers against influenza and surveillance for new influenza strains among this population may therefore be an important public health measure.
Swine flue vaccine has recently been the topic of many public health conversations. There currently is no swine flue vaccine available. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that new virus causing swine flue is sensitive and responds to oseltamivir. With no swine influenza vaccine, there are currently no swine flu vaccine side effects to report. There are also no swine flu vaccine deaths to report. Because this strain of the swine flu is different from the 1976 pandemic of the swine flu, the 1976 swine flu vaccine is not available for use for this current strain of the virus.
Since there is no swine flu vaccine and since the common flu vaccine will not help, most who encounter the swine flu encounter the same type of symptoms that you expect with the common flu which include fever, chills, high temperature and fatigue.
Swine flu vaccines are being investigated by the World Health Organization along with ongoing epidemiological investigation that may help determine how the virus spreads and what the transmission pattern is. If you believe that you have the swine flu, call you doctor. Be Well!
