Swine flu covered by regular flu shot; CDC recommends those 6 months and older get the vaccine
Last year, the swine flu sparked the first global flu pandemic in more than 40 years, prompting cattle-call style vaccinations in Washtenaw County.
Protection from that particular flu strain shouldn’t warrant the same kind of mass organization during the 2010-2011 flu season.
The swine flu, known officially as the 2009 H1N1 virus, is covered in this year’s regular flu vaccination, which has begun shipping from manufacturers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The swine flu showed up and peaked at unexpected times, sparking a global pandemic. The CDC declared the public health emergency over on June 23 in the U.S., while the pandemic ended globally Aug. 10.
People lined up for wristbands so they could get the H1N1 vaccine last November at Pioneer High School. The line stretched from the school all the way to Main Street.
Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com
“Last year was unprecedented because we had our peak flu in October and November,” said Laura Bauman, an epidemiologist for the Washtenaw County Public Health Department.
Typically, flu season peaks around January.
The CDC is recommending everyone 6 months and older gets a flu vaccine as it becomes available, a more comprehensive recommendation than in years past, Bauman said.
The 2010-2011 shot covers three types of influenza predicted by the World Health Organization as most at risk of showing up in the flu season mix. The latest shot covers the H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus, and the 2009 H1N1 virus. The mix changes every year. The vaccine is also available as a nasal spray..
Bauman said H3N2 - so far it lacks a catchy nickname - has been popping up around the U.S. all summer and could be the flu virus to watch for this year.
Children younger than 5, adults over 65 and pregnant women are most at risk of developing complications from the flu. Alaskan natives and Native Americans seemed to be at a higher risk of developing complications last flu season, according to the CDC.
Juliana Keeping is a health and environment reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at julianakeeping@annarbor.com or 734-623-2528. Follow Juliana Keeping on Twitter
Comments
Michelle
Tue, Sep 7, 2010 : 7:04 p.m.
Has anyone researched the rumor of mercury in the flu shot?
Rork Kuick
Tue, Sep 7, 2010 : 7:15 a.m.
The miss-information folks, the conspiracy folks and the faithy naturopath folks. A comments trifecta has been achieved.
edwardmnikal
Mon, Sep 6, 2010 : 10:55 p.m.
Obviously, any time the word vaccination is mentioned, it conjures up passionate feelings on both sides of the issue. My personal take on the flu vaccination is that I won't be getting it because I trust my body to handle the situation more than I would ever trust a substance injected from outside the body. This, however, is merely my opinion and what works for me. While I don't agree with the proponents of vaccination in general, nor do I appreciate the many fear tactics that the CDC and other groups use to push the vaccines, ultimately it is the choice of the individual. With that being said, however, the individual must be EDUCATED regarding BOTH THE PROS AND CONS to vaccinations, whether it is the chicken pox vaccine or the flu shot. Most people make their decisions based on mainstream media outlets, TV news reports, etc. instead of reading material on both sides of the issue. I could go on but I'll leave you with a couple of interesting sites to check out. One is: http://www.naturalnews.com/027548_swine_flu_vaccines_death_risk.html and the other has an incredible wealth of information: http://www.nvic.org/
Ian
Mon, Sep 6, 2010 : 9:12 p.m.
FreedomOfSpeech is absolutely right. Good to see some informed people commenting on AA.com. The H1N1 flu was a HOAX that was confirmed by the British Medical Journal and Dr. Wolfgang Woodarg, epidimeologist with the Council of Europe. The doctors that advised and recommended the H1N1 were on the payroll of Big Pharma. These doctors are under investigation. Go to YouTube and search, "Dr. Wolfgang Woodarg + H1N1" or "British Medical Journal + H1N1" and listen for yourself. The H1N1 vaccine is killing and damaging children around the world, yet, here in the U.S., our medical establishment is so desperate to damage as many people as possible, they are adding the untested left over H1N1 vaccine from last year to this year's flu vaccine. Vaccines spiked with mercury and squalene to damage our nervous system.
genericreg
Mon, Sep 6, 2010 : 7:56 p.m.
IT is magic word. Say vaccine bring all kooks.
A2.com.user
Mon, Sep 6, 2010 : 12:17 p.m.
Increases in swine and bird flu are directly related to the overcrowding of farm animals in factory farming operations in the U.S. and worldwide. These animals are forced to stand in their own urine and feces sometimes 24 hours a day. The urine and feces produces large amounts of ammonia and other corrosive gases which burns these animals protective mucus membranes away in their sinus cavities and respiritory tracts making them highly vulnerable to virus and bacterial infections. Because of overcrowding these animals are forced to vomit, bleed, defecate, urinate, cough and sneeze on one another.....and also attack one another. This also increases disease spread. Often the birds beaks are cut off to keep them from pecking and wounding each other in overcrowded conditions which breed agression. Cutting off their beaks and tails (pigs) is the cheap/cruel alternative to giving them more space. To control bacterial infection in these close, overcrowded conditions the animals must be constantly dosed with antibiotics which breeds antibiotic resistance and deadlier bacteria which can then spread to humans. The waste lagoons that these factory farm operations create when feces and urine is dropped through the floor of the factory "barns" and washed outside to giant pits are one of the largest sources of river water pollution and fish kills nationwide. These feces/urine pits often overflow or are deliberately drained into nearby rivers. The solution to this plague of swine and bird flu, antibiotic resistance and e-coli is to by meat from animals that were raised in a humane "FREE RANGE/ORGANIC" manner. Animals that ARE allowed to range freely over the land DO NOT require continous dosages of drugs to stay healthy and their meat is healthier because they eat natural grasses etc. instead of genetically engineered soy and corn which cows are not evolved to eat. (cows have a four chambered stomach evolved to eat grass, NOT soy, corn and other grains). Eating feed that is NOT grass makes cows sick and disrupts their digestive bacteria allowing e-coli to flourish. Cows fed corn, soy and other grains also produce LARGER amounts of methane gas than grass fed cows. The feces/urine pits are a sea of flies, maggots, hundreds of species of bacteria and intensely foul odor which is not natural but caused by the concentration of the waste and the feed that the animals are fed, which is often food the livestock were NOT evolved to eat.
FreedomOfSpeech
Mon, Sep 6, 2010 : 11:47 a.m.
@ mhirzel Thank you! BTW: Junk Science and Contradictions Dominate WHO Pandemic Statements and Policies www.infowars.com/junk-science-and-contradictions-dominate-who-pandemic-statements-and-policies/ - Rockefeller Foundation and WHO Continue Collaboration on Sterilizing Vaccines, Implantables www.infowars.com/rockefeller-foundation-and-who-continue-collaboration-on-sterilizing-vaccines-implantables/ - www.drtenpenny.com/ - www.infowars.com/london-times-censors-mass-opposition-to-mandatory-swine-flu-vaccine/ Let's not forget that many scientists from around the globe spoke out, yet the mass media shut their facts out for the most part. The H1N1 strain was 100% engineered and could not by any means mutate a Bird, Pig & Human strain as it is in nature by natural means... IMPOSSIBLE!!! - Yet where is the front page story on that???!!! Who engineered it and why? Anyone remember Donald Rumsfeld & Co's Flu scam of the mid 70's? - www.infowars.com/who-consistently-downplaying-dangers-of-mutated-flu-strains/.
tommy_t
Mon, Sep 6, 2010 : 10:43 a.m.
Swine flu? thought it was the avian type, H1N1a, bird flu that caused last years epidemic??
Suki
Mon, Sep 6, 2010 : 10:10 a.m.
Regarding info from other areas. The first article you cite, from Australia, dates back to April 2010. A more current article, from August, reveals that there was an issue with a certain Australian manufacturer and the U.S. has banned that particular vaccine. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/industry-sectors/europe-us-ban-csl-kids-flu-shot/story-e6frg97f-1225907050340 Your second article refers specifically to the swine flu vaccine and not the seasonal vaccine. I admit I used to be among the people who did not get immunized. Then I got the flu -- 3 times in 3 years. That was enough to get me to the doctor and in the past 2 years of getting the flu shot I've stayed healthy. I'll be getting it again this year for sure.
breadman
Mon, Sep 6, 2010 : 7:42 a.m.
Some Insurance do not cover the shot! So I guess some of us is left in the dark. And I am on two inhalers to make it in life.