Early results from studies of children receiving this year’s H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine show that resistance to the virus becomes effective within ten days of vaccination. This result shows that the H1N1 vaccine is performing, as expected, just like the seasonal flu vaccine which is given to millions of Americans every fall. Public uneasiness with the vaccine seems...

What is swine flu? Influenza is caused by infection with a virus. There are many types of flu virus and these are constantly changing, which makes it hard for the human immune system to deal with. The particular type of influenza virus that causes swine flu is known as H1N1, which is a type of Influenza A (there are also influenza B and C viruses). It is the same group...

Nearly one-third, or 28 percent, of adults and children hospitalized with H1N1, also known as swine flu, have asthma. That’s more than any other chronic condition, according to a recent analysis of cases published in the New England Journal of Medicine. (The next most common complications on the list were diabetes and a weakened immune system, at 15 percent each.) “Asthma...

H1N1 Flu Vaccine Tests Begin Swiss drugmaker Novartis has begun injecting its H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine into people in the company’s first human tests, a spokesman said Wednesday. The vaccine is being tested in a yearlong trial of 6,000 people of all ages in Britain, Germany and the United States, Novartis spokesman Eric Althoff told The Associated Press, adding that...

What is H1N1 Flu Treatment? Most cases of flu require no treatment other than symptom relief. If you have a chronic condition such as respiratory or heart disease your doctor may prescribe additional medication to manage symptoms. Antivirals Influenza is sensitive to oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), both of which are neuraminidase inhibitors. These antiviral...

The cold weather flu season is now here, and you may be wondering, “If I get sick, how do I know if it is seasonal influenza or swine flu?” Both seasonal flu and H1N1 are influenza A viruses, which share many characteristics and symptoms of infection. Only laboratory tests, not symptoms alone, can distinguish the common flu from the new pandemic influenza. What...

H1N1 Swine Flu By Daniel J. DeNoon H1N1 swine flu has turned flu death statistics upside down, the CDC today confirmed. In a normal flu season, 90% of deaths are in elderly people. Since September, 90% of deaths have been in people under age 65 — with almost a quarter of the deaths in young people under age 25. “It is almost completely reversed. Nearly 90%...

What are swine flu symptoms? Symptoms of H1N1 swine flu are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Many people with swine flu have had diarrhea and vomiting. Nearly everyone with flu has at least two of these symptoms. But these symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions. That means...

What percentage of hospitalizations for 2009 H1N1 flu occur in different age groups in the United States? The percentage of hospitalizations for 2009 H1N1 flu in the United States varies by age group. From August 30, 2009 through October 10, 2009, states reported 4,958 laboratory-confirmed 2009 H1N1 hospitalizations to CDC. The percentage of 2009 H1N1 related hospitalizations...