Influenza H1N1 Vaccine

Article dated the 30th of September 2009

Tamiflu

The second wave of influenza A H1N1 is due to hit Britain as the winter approaches with experts predicting that 100,000s of people will be affected each week. Countries such as Australia and Argentina, who are now coming out of their winter season, have recorded large increases in numbers of people contracting the virus and swine flu related deaths. With 67 UK deaths already linked to the virus there is a real urgency to license a swine flu vaccine, however European regulators have yet to approve one.

How has the swine flu vaccine been developed?
There are a number of pharmaceutical companies involved worldwide in the race to produce the influenza H1N1 vaccine. The UK supply will be produced and tested by Baxter and GlaxoSmithKline and there are plans to fast-track this treatment through, however its precise arrival date is unknown at this point.
The vaccine will consist of a combination of past flu vaccines and newly developed technology meaning that some components of the vaccine will have been used and tested in the past.

How does it work?
Vaccines work by introducing a sufficient amount of a virus into the body to trick it into thinking it has been infected. The vaccine contains no live virus; however it prompts the immune system to create antibodies. The creation of antibodies means that any subsequent contact with the same virus does not cause illness. In some cases people may experience mild flu-like symptoms after immunisation, but this is not influenza.

Will the vaccine prevent me from getting the flu?
If the influenza A H1N1 virus remains the same the vaccination will probably be the most effective method for preventing infection and its related medical complications, however initial trials of the swine flu vaccine showed that it might be necessary to administer two doses to each person as one may not be effective. If the virus strain changes then the vaccine may prove to be ineffective.

It is important to know that the H1N1 vaccine will not ward off any regular seasonal flu strains, and similarly receiving a seasonal flu jab will not prevent you from catching influenza A H1N1. If you normally receive a seasonal flu jab you will have to have this administered separately.

When will it arrive?
The influenza A vaccine should be ready by October, but a precise date has not yet been confirmed.

Will there be enough doses available for everybody?
The UK Government has 132 million doses on order which is enough to provide the entire population with two doses each.

Who is it for?
The Government has ordered enough doses to vaccinate the entire UK population priority however vaccinations will be given first to high risk individuals such as health workers, pregnant women and those suffering with chronic health problems. It may be several months before those further down the priority list are called to receive their flu jab leaving these groups at risk of contracting the virus in the meantime. Pensioners, for example, feature low down on the list of priority despite being more susceptible to normal seasonal flu and at high risk of complications from flu.

Worries and concerns about vaccine?
The swine flu vaccine has been fast-tracked for use in the UK, which has left some worried that insufficient clinical testing to determine its efficacy has been carried out. This may mean it is necessary to have more than dose of the vaccine.

Some of the population will have to be vaccinated with caution: Although the influenza A vaccine has been deemed safe to use in children over 10, it is still unclear whether it can be safely administered to younger children. Similarly there is a lack of safety data on flu vaccines given to pregnant women.

There are also concerns that there may be delays in the production of the seasonal flu vaccine leaving high risk patients at risk.

Compare the flu vaccine to Tamiflu before deciding on the best course of action for you and your family.

Latest information 30/09/2009
tamiflu, traditional flu remedies, swine flu & tamiflu advice