If a person already had the swine flu would they be immune?

No Virus strains change and mutate every year.
You've had the normal flu but you still get it.
You cant become immune to an ever changing virus.
That is the work of vaccines, they give you an inactivated dose of the new strain to make you immune to it before you get it.
But next year its changed again they have to make another one before then.
They are making next years seasonal flu vaccine now.
This is not to be confused with colds either people get 5-6 colds per year but never get the full blown flu.

Originally posted by JennyJen
I'm taking my chances and will have 'flu' for a week or so. I figure when it comes to the vaccine, they will primarily focus on getting those who haven't had flu, done first. Not to tempt fate but if they are no longer going to diagnose people and instead treat them in the mind that they have swine flu, then its time to abuse the system and at least pretend to have it and buy myself some time if this vaccine does become mandatory.

Good thinking.

Although in our case, i think my family has already caught and fought off the virus earlier in the year.

Around mid - late March, all of our family were infected with a nasty virus, that bore all the symptoms of this flu.

The cold like symptoms (runny nose, eyes, sinuses etc)
The muscle aches
The high fever (40)
The Vomitting and Diarrhea (although i didn't have the vomitting, but just felt sick)
And a cough that lasted for about two weeks, after the other symptoms stopped (the cough was the worst part IMO)

We probably have had it aready, so we should be immune to further infection, unless (or until) the thing mutates.

But yeah, If the poiso...i mean vaccine, becomes compulsory, i intend to 'create' a small (tiny) vaccinated area on all us (if you get my drift), upper left arm i should think. Complete with sterile pad and micropore tape, should anyone come to 'inspect' us. It may only delay things a bit, but that may be enough time to think of something else.

Originally posted by spikey

But yeah, If the poiso...i mean vaccine, becomes compulsory, i intend to 'create' a small (tiny) vaccinated area on all us (if you get my drift), upper left arm i should think. Complete with sterile pad and micropore tape, should anyone come to 'inspect' us. It may only delay things a bit, but that may be enough time to think of something else.

That's a good idea too! I'm sure that they will have a record of all those who have had it and who still needs it, but if we are lucky enough to have someone incompetant check on us, it should buy abit more time before they do catch on to it.

Originally posted by CaptainCaveMan
No Virus strains change and mutate every year.
You've had the normal flu but you still get it.
You cant become immune to an ever changing virus.
That is the work of vaccines, they give you an inactivated dose of the new strain to make you immune to it before you get it.
But next year its changed again they have to make another one before then.
They are making next years seasonal flu vaccine now.
This is not to be confused with colds either people get 5-6 colds per year but never get the full blown flu.

Hey Captaincaveman,

Maybe it's me, but i'm having trouble following what you're saying here?!

First you say "No Virus strains change and mutate every year."
Then you say "You cant become immune to an ever changing virus."

Which is it? Either they do change and mutate on a regular basis or they don't. If they don't mutate or change, then one vaccine would work for the same flu virus year after year.

The reason you still get flu, even if you have already HAD a flu virus, is that they are different strains of flu virus infecting you.

Same as with the 'common cold', there are as many as 400 - 600 different strains of cold virus. That's why you can get a cold, then while you are recovering from that particular 'cold' virus, you can be infected with another one, then another one, then another one etc etc etc.

You can (in theory) have a continual cold for years! As each time you get a cold virus, you are really getting one of these 400 - 600 different strains of cold virus each time.

I have personally had a cold for several months. Although in reality this wasn't one cold, but multiple strains of 'cold' virus being caught in succession. (a typical cold infection will last around a week)

It's not all bad news though, as once you have had one strain of cold or flu, you'll have immunity from that particular strain in the future.

So, even though you can still catch anyone of the 599 remaining strains, the more you have, the more immunity you'll aquire.

This is why older people, rarely get colds. They already have had a lot of the 'popular' strains, and built up immunity against them.

The whole point is, you cannot create a vaccine unless and until you know what the form of the virus will be after mutation!
It would be like trying to vaccinate against flu with a polio vaccine...it won't work, they are two different things!

reply to post by JennyJen


Exactly Jen,

And just think of the millions of people that will be voluteering or even demanding to get this, the admin for such a large scale operation would be a beast and a half!

Most inspectors, would probably assume some overworked under stress lacky made a clerical error.

(hopefully)

Originally posted by Karlhungis
reply to post by The time lord

 

Then what is the point of the vaccine? It is only trying to simulate a previous infection. So, if you have already had it once... in theory, you shouldn't need a vaccine because it won't be any more effective than your previous infection was.

A vaccine is a prevention drug not a cure so if you had it without the vaccine and was cured you can still get it another time, but a vaccine will maybe prevent it effecting you in the first place.

INFO:

A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains a small amount of an agent that resembles a microorganism. The agent stimulates the body's immune system to recognize the agent as foreign, destroy it, and "remember" it, so that the immune system can more easily recognize and destroy any of these microorganisms that it later encounters.

THE DIFFERENCE:

Antivirals are drugs that can treat people who have already been infected by a virus. They also can be used to prevent infection when given before or shortly after exposure and before illness occurs. A key difference between a vaccine and antiviral drug is that the antiviral drug will prevent infection only when administered within a certain time frame before or after exposure and is effective during the time that the drug is being taken while a vaccine can be given long before exposure to the virus and can provide protection over a long period of time.


I hope that clears it up.

reply to post by spikey


Plus it'd take them a fair time to get through all those hoards before they hunt down the people that didn't show for it. If nothing else, we've got time on our side to figure up some grand masterplan of avoidance should we not be lucky enough to get an incompetant nurse hunt us down!

I thought at least I would get a reply for my explanation, I must have said something right or people are just fed up about hearing about swine flu.

reply to post by son of total newbie


Well, in vaccines, people become immune becasue only a weak/dead form of the virus/disease/whatever are entered into the blood, so that the right type of defences will be realeased- more quickly for next time if the body gets "infected." However, if the flu has entered for the first time, the body has already become too slow in fighting it- as it let it get in and infect. Therefore, obviously, it would take the help of medicaton, anti-bioticts ect. to make the illness go away. So because of this, I think that no, getting swine flu doesn't make the body immune to it in future.