Swine flu prevention and vaccination

This season I was vaccinated against influenza. Will it protect against swine flu?

If you were vaccinated against influenza last winter, the effect of swine flu vaccination will remain for a long time, protecting you from certain known strains of influenza virus. However, the new, modified virus of swine influenza is quite atypical in nature.

How can I protect myself from swine influenza infection?

Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following steps:

• Remember to wash your hands with soap, especially after coughing or sneezing. Also use to wash your hands on alcohol basis.
• Avoid close contact with infected people.
• Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes.

Can I still eat pork?

Yes. You can not get swine flu, consuming pork, bacon and other pork products.

What additional preventive measures should I take?

Stay informed of new facts in your neighborhood. Your local health center may hold important information about the epidemic of swine flu in your area. For example, parents may wish to know what steps they should take if a school where their children are learning, will close due to influenza. Preparatory School St. Francis, New York was closed for several days after the analyses of eight students had indicated influenza virus. No need to panic, but the basic steps of caution did not prevent this occasion.

Were there the earlier outbreaks of swine flu?

Yes. In 1976 was recorded epidemic of swine flu among recruits in the town of Fort Dix, ea. New Jersey. The epidemic lasted one month, then vanished as inexplicably as arose. Virus infected 240 people, one person died.

Swine influenza, as recorded in the city of Fort Dix, a virus strain H1N1. The same strain caused fatal influenza pandemic of 1918-1919, taking the lives of tens of millions of people.

Concern about a new pandemic virus strain H1N1 in the winter of 1976 grew into an ambitious program to develop vaccines and implementation of the vaccination of all Americans against swine flu. The program to vaccinate the population was fraught with difficulties, one of which was a massive belief that the vaccine caused an unprecedented number of severe adverse reactions. After the 40 million people were vaccinated, the program was discontinued.

Subsequently, however, a new epidemic of swine influenza has broken out.

Is the epidemic of swine flu a serious threat to society?

The severity of the disease can vary depending on the unfolding of the epidemic, but throughout the world experts always closely monitor the spread and take apreparatory measures for the case of a pandemic.