Quote (Gurby @ Sat, Sep 26 2009, 01:18pm)
influenza vaccines are usually only given to very young or very old people, and use killed viruses so there is no risk of infection. live attenuated viruses can be used in immunocomptetent persons between the ages of 5 and 49. but in the end, swine flu is probably less lethal than regular flu. there's been about 400.000 cases worldwide, and some 4.000 deaths.
e: compared to the H1N1 pandemic of 1918, 200.000.000 deaths makes us look a bit paranoid. there is always the risk of further antigenic shift toward a more lethal, less treatable strain of course.
Did i miss something, last time i checked swine flu was H1N1, in other words wtf is he talkin bout ^ (or all the scientists calling swine flu H1N1 dumb lol). Actually swine flue is much more dangerous then he is letting on...
Despite swine flu's name it is actually a flu from birds (ill break it down)
Birds can not give a flu to humans, however the chicken can get a flu from just about any bird
Chickens still can not give a flu to a human, however chickens can give a flu to a pig (or swine)
Pigs (or swine) can give a flu to a human.
Both the avian flu in 1918 and the swine flu of today come from that same chain, and they where both originally an illness from birds, however the swine flu of today is actually a mixture of 3 different illnesses, making it all the more deadly.
About the pandemic in 1918, the first year that the avian flu appeared it didnt actually do much damage, it was the second winter that it was around that it became a pandemic,
if you look at the swine flu of today we are approaching the 2nt winter that it has been around, so comparing it to 1918... well thats some scary shit.