Why the big push for seasonal vax?

[sbrooks]

seems to me the feds and local health officials have been pushing the seasonal vax more than ever before, though I keep reading it offers no
immunity to h1n1, and h1n1 is 98% of the circulating virus.

Is there a chance that the human brisbane strains in the seasonal vax can help against the human strain within h1n1? (h1n1 contains human, avian and swine as I understand it)

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Why the big push for seasonal vax?

I believe H3N2 is still considered a threat - especially to the elderly.

Also, the fewer people that catch the small amount of circulating seasonal infuenza, the fewer chances there are for novel H1N1 to reassort and pick up genes that might make the novel strain more virulent.

.

 

[Niko]

Re: Why the big push for seasonal vax?

A neighbor/friend told me that her employer had free flu shots available today. She felt very pressured to get a shot and said she actually got a little angry (which is very unlike her). She finally insisted that she would not be vaccinated.

The most interesting part is she distinctly remembers being told the seasonal flu shot provided 90-95% protection against the "swine flu" in addition to protecting against seasonal flu. I don't know who told her this or their position. Of course, I corrected the record . Just one more falsity floating around.

 

[Niko]

Re: Why the big push for seasonal vax?

I believe H3N2 is still considered a threat - especially to the elderly.

Also, the fewer people that catch the small amount of circulating seasonal infuenza, the fewer chances there are for novel H1N1 to reassort and pick up genes that might make the novel strain more virulent.

.

Not to mention how serious dual infection may be to the patient.

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Why the big push for seasonal vax?

seems to me the feds and local health officials have been pushing the seasonal vax more than ever before, though I keep reading it offers no
immunity to h1n1, and h1n1 is 98% of the circulating virus.

Is there a chance that the human brisbane strains in the seasonal vax can help against the human strain within h1n1? (h1n1 contains human, avian and swine as I understand it)

I think they are pushing it to help reduce the overall illness levels in communities in a pandemic.

 

[Missouriwatcher]

Re: Why the big push for seasonal vax?

In week 36 (according to CDC), 99.7% due to Influenza A, and of that, only .1 was A(H1), the rest assumed to be Pandemic H1N1. So, as I got my yearly seasonal flu shot, I wondered the same thing...why, what's the point. I guess the pharmaceutical companies have produced it, what a waste to let it sit-- there's no profit unless it's utilized. If you follow international Pandemic H1N1, other countries are showing the same trend away from any other influenza circulation. So, now that I'm protected against .4% of the viruses circulating in the US at this point, what were my odds of ever contracting anything besides Pandemic H1N1?

And, I do agree with the confusion over vaccines. Even the newscasters confuse their stories when they are explaining Pandemic vs seasonal, so no wonder the general public is lost.

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Why the big push for seasonal vax?

I too got the regular shot yesterday. My rationale is this;

Seasonal flu is usually pretty low in the US right now so the fact that 99% of flu is novel H1N1 is not really relevant. I suspect that H1N1 will fly through between now and new years, and still leave time for a regular flu season from January to March. There might be overlap between the down side of the pandemic and the upside of seasonal. And I sure as heck don't want a co-infection or one right after the other.