It is important to know about the viruses and where they are currently circulating. All of the United States has “wide-spread” outbreaks according to the CDC web site. They have an excellent site for Flu Activity and Surveillance.

Another issue worth monitoring is the vaccine availability in your area. Swine Flu 911 is providing relevant information as much as possible, but it is also good to check directly with your own state’s web site. In addition, you can check with your doctor to make sure you are on an appropriate wait list if you would like to be vaccinated.

In addition to keeping informed, keep communication channels open with your children to help them digest flu facts and rumors to help alleviate panic and answer questions. Flu.gov has a section devoted to Talking to Your Children about The Flu.

In addition, The National Association of School Physiologists (NASP) has partnered with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) and the National Parent Teacher Association (NPTA) to develop and disseminate a handout for parents on talking to their children about the flu virus. “Talking to Children About the Flu (Novel H1N1): A Parent Resource” is available to parents and educators to be copied and distributed without specific permission. You can also listen to this handout as a podcast, read the Spanish handout, or listen to the Spanish version. All links for these resources can be found at Nasponline.org/resources/swineflu.aspx.

Whether or not you choose to vaccinate your family, another set of information to consider covers natural cold and flu prevention and remedies. A relatively new site focused on these areas is Yeahtips.com. Here are some recent related articles:

Natural Cold and Flu Prevention and Remedies

Do it Yourself Flu Prevention

Stay tuned at Swine Flu 911 for more breaking news and information. We are here to help you stay informed and healthy.

Both kinds of  vaccines are made the same way. The virus is injected into chicken eggs and grown into larger quantities. If you have a known allergy to chicken eggs or a compromised immune system due to some other medical condition, talk to your doctor about whether flu vaccination is even an option for you.

For the vaccine that is administered by needle, the virus is harvested from the eggs, killed and chopped into segments. When it is injected into you, it activates your body’s immune system to produce the antibodies that will kill the actual flu virus should you become exposed to it.

When making the nasal-spray vaccine, the virus is grown in the eggs at lower temperatures, which weakens it so that it can only survive in the nose. The nasal vaccine infects the mucosal cells that are closely monitored by your immune system and once this system detects the vaccine, it produces permanent immunity to the flu virus.

Only healthy people ages 2 to 49 and who aren’t pregnant can receive the nasal-spray vaccine. If you fall into this category and cringe at the thought of having to get a  needle, the nasal spray might be the way to go. However, if you are getting both the seasonal and the swine flu shots, you will need to wait four weeks in between the two nasal-spray vaccines.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), you can’t get the flu from either the injectable vaccine  or the nasal-spray, because the viruses have been inactivated. With the flu shot, minor side effects can occur, including soreness, redness or swelling where the shot is given, low grade fever, aches and nausea. These problems could occur soon after the shot is given and last from 1 to 2 days.

The nasal spray can cause the following side effects in children:

• runny nose
• wheezing
• headache
• vomiting
• muscle aches
• fever

In adults, side effects, if they occur include:

• runny nose
• headache
• sore throat
• cough

There can be serious side effects from either vaccine but these are very rare. One such side effect is Guillian-Barre Syndrome, a rare disorder in which the person’s own immune system damages nerve cells. Visit the CDC website for questions and answers about this condition.

The Flu.gov website has links to Q & A’s about both the H1N1 nasal spray and the needle that answers questions about what symptons to look for in the event of any kind of severe reaction and how to proceed.

The symptoms are fairly similar with coughing, fever, lack of energy, discharge from the nose and a decrease in appetite.  In order to limit the transmission of the flu virus from pigs to people and people to pigs, the following steps can be taken:

• Vaccination of pigs. By administering influenza virus vaccinations to pigs, farmers can help to eliminate the potential spread of infection.
• Vaccination of farm workers. By making sure that all workers who come in contact with pigs are vaccinated, companies and farm owners can decrease the chances of pigs spreading the virus to workers and vice versa.
• Avoid contact. If you are infected with the influenza virus or any other infectious illness, avoid contact with as many people as possible and stay home.  In contrast, if you see that others are not feeling well, try to avoid them, as well.
• Practice good hygiene. Always cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze and wash your hands with soap often.
• Maintain healthy habits. Remember to get enough sleep, eat healthy meals full of fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water.
• Do not pet pigs. You cannot get the swine virus from eating pork, but you could get it if you have direct contact with a pig, so stay clear until you know that it is safe to be around them again.

For now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are issuing a travel health warning for Mexico, advising people to avoid all non-essential travel to Mexico.  If you must travel to Mexico, the CDC recommends that you be up-to-date on all of your current vaccinations, including seasonal influenza vaccines.  They also advise you to do your homework and know where healthcare facilities are located in the area you will be traveling.

Be sure to pay attention to healthcare announcements being made while you are in the country and always follow the local public health guidelines.

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