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Thread ID: 99280	2009-04-26 05:53:00	is vaccination compulsary when travelling to mexico?	lance4k (4644)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
768624	2009-04-26 20:34:00	From MY doctors at the Loma Linda/VA Medical Center: Having had a flu shot this past year will help quite a bit in minimizing the effects of swine flu, but more so in the H-1/HA types of flu . Swine flu is another fine Chinese export to Mexico and now the rest of the world and Google Maps has it all posted at: $swine flu or $swine flu in New Zealand Be sure to use the hashmark, either $ or # in the Google Maps browser area for best results . BTW: There IS a swine flu vaccine, although multi-variant in application - and if your NZ docs say no, then they just don't have any and are pulling the wool over your eyes . How appropriate - the "wool" part, anyway! Article follows with permission for promulgation: Novavax Vaccine Protects Against Bird Flu As the Swine Flu continues to take lives in Mexico, and more cases are reported in the United States, help may be on the way . Scientists at Novavax, Inc . have successfully developed the first multi-strain flu vaccine, though it may not be FDA approved in time to help with the current flu . New Vaccine Protects Against Multiple Flu Strains Date: April 25, 2009 | Rockville, MD | United States of America | STATUS: outbreak . The new preclinical study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA and Novavax , Inc . report that the H1N1 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine protects against both the Spanish flu and a highly infective H5N1 avian influenza (Bird Flu) strain . The H1N1 virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine differs from traditional vaccines in several ways . The scientists at Novavax have engineered H1N1 as a live influenza vaccine . 'Unlike other non-live influenza vaccines, the VLPs are uniquely positioned to stimulate immunity through multiple mechanisms,' said Dr . Penny Heaton, Chief Medical Officer at Novavax . A live vaccine can stimulate special antibodies that both prevent the virus from attaching to cells but also prevent the virus from fusing with cells . Dr . Penny Heaton added that the live vaccine developed by Novavax "may stimulate production of antibody that prevents spread of the virus down the respiratory tract . " Researchers from Novavax and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccinated mice and ferrets with H1N1 . All of the immunized mice and ferrets were protected when exposed to a lethal dose of the 1918 influenza virus, and those animals that were immunized by the intranasal route were also protected against a lethal dose of a highly pathogenic bird flu strain . This is the first time protection against strains with different HA types has been reported . Having one vaccine which can protect against multiple strains of flu would be a great help when faced with pandemic flu situations, such as the current swine flu outbreak . A vaccine which can protect against multiple strains of flu is ideal for agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who stockpile vaccines for administration during the first wave of the pandemics . The flu vaccines we have in NZ do cover a strain SIMILAR to the swine flu (A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1)-like virus), but for obvious reasons it's not the same and therefore probably won't have the sort of effect a proper vaccine would have . Just remember that this is early days yet, and that there isn't all that much known about this new flu strain yet .	somebody (208)
768625	2009-04-26 22:06:00	Our local rag has the headline Swine Flu Confirmed. Then you read it and it says they have flu but whether or not its theis particular one needs to be tested in Oz first. Panic mongerers. Also as of last night 68 people had died of flu over there but only 20 of those had the new swine variety. Seeing as the 1918 flu killed around 40 - 100 million, I don't think we need to panic just yet. I had the flu for the first time in years and years, last year, no idea what variety it was, bird, pig, people or a combination of..........last time I checked I wasn't dead though.	pctek (84)
768626	2009-04-26 23:21:00	I get my flu shots every year and the VA also gives them to my wife, so we have been flu-free for years . It's a great relief to feel somewhat secure in this latest version . Sadly, a lot of what COULD fight these new variants are now stronger from people insisting on "antibiotics" for sniffles and sore throats and they just make these things stronger with incorrect medications . The magic bullet is broken and won't work if trends medical aren't reversed . Antibiotics don't work on viruses either .	SurferJoe46 (51)
768627	2009-04-27 02:53:00	there is a new article in the newspaper today that contradicts itself by saying the students have "agreed" to stay home until the test results are confirmed, and the same article says "the medical officers will give permission for them to go back to school if they don't have the swine flu". So it's hard to tell if legally the medical officers can force the students to stay home or if the students can take the risk if they want and go to school. I searched legislation.govt.nz for any Medical or disease or infection laws, but i can't seem to find any. So i don't think the health officials have the power to force the students to stay in home isolation. There is no vaccine for Swine flu. Vaccines for tourists are generally voluntary, except for yellow fever where you have to produce a vaccination certificate at the border if you have come from an endemic area. According to that article, the students are restricted to home until their lab tests results are available. If they do turn out to be infected, but they aren't that sick, then they would probably stay at home but follow strict infection control measures. I can't imagine the hospitals would want infected (but well enough) patients with Swine flu on their premises with so many other immuno-compromised patients. If an infected student was sick enough for admission, then they would be held in a special room designed for infectious people.	lance4k (4644)
768628	2009-04-27 06:04:00	So it's hard to tell if legally the medical officers can force the students to stay home or if the students can take the risk if they want and go to school. I searched legislation.govt.nz for any Medical or disease or infection laws, but i can't seem to find any. So i don't think the health officials have the power to force the students to stay in home isolation.There was (is) a NZ public health law whereby people who refuse treatment for a communicable disease can be imprisoned.	Jen (38)
768629	2009-04-27 06:19:00	There was (is) a NZ public health law whereby people who refuse treatment for a communicable disease can be imprisoned. There was also a law passed during the bird flu panic which would give the Prime Minister the power to declare a state of emergency, and assume additional powers to force people into quarantine etc.	somebody (208)
768630	2009-04-27 09:04:00	Our local rag has the headline Swine Flu Confirmed . Then you read it and it says they have flu but whether or not its theis particular one needs to be tested in Oz first . Panic mongerers . Also as of last night 68 people had died of flu over there but only 20 of those had the new swine variety . Seeing as the 1918 flu killed around 40 - 100 million, I don't think we need to panic just yet . I had the flu for the first time in years and years, last year, no idea what variety it was, bird, pig, people or a combination of . . . . . . . . . . last time I checked I wasn't dead though . Not sure who the panic mongerers are meant to be . This flu might end up being no big deal, but then you can't know that for sure . If I remember correctly 30000 people die a year in the USA from seasonal flu, but around 38000 die in car crashes . We haven't had a real pandemic in our lifetime so your experience of flu not killing you is irrelevant . Those 50 million in 1918 died over just three months, so when it hits it can be pretty quick . I'm not sitting here worrying about it, but I'm glad there are people who are monitoring it .	Twelvevolts (5457)
768631	2009-04-27 09:07:00	By the way as an aside - was pretty impressed with this Centre for Disease Control web site today www.cdc.gov Great that you can collect these stats an publish them in this form.	Twelvevolts (5457)
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