Swine fleu N1H1 vaccination and home treatment remedies

Vaccination

WHO does not expect the swine flu vaccine to be widely available until the end of 2009, noting that current production "yield" was only about half as much as expected and would cause timeline delays.[263] Vaccine producers can normally produce about a billion doses of any single vaccine each year and as a result WHO anticipates a "global shortfall," Keiji Fukuda said in May.[264]
There is also concern that countries which produce vaccines, 70 percent of which are in Europe, may delay sending swine flu vaccines to other countries as they may come under "tremendous pressure to protect their own citizens first," note some experts. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota said that as 80 percent of the United States' pandemic vaccine supply will be coming from abroad, he is very concerned about when it might arrive. "Timing could be everything to avoid a vaccine spat."[265]
Although WHO reports that a fully licensed vaccine might not be ready until the end of 2009, some experts feel that with "little or no safety data about a swine flu vaccine," governments that are planning to roll out mass campaigns are "taking a gamble," since any rare side effects won't show up until millions of people start getting the shots.[265] Nonetheless, in late July, some European countries were planning to accelerate the approval process for the vaccine, and countries like Britain, Greece, France and Sweden all say that they will start using the vaccine once it is given approval, which could happen within weeks. Some European officials feel that "the benefit of saving lives is worth the gamble," and are letting companies skip testing large groups of people before the vaccine is approved. The U.S. is taking a more cautious approach, however.[266]
U.S. and local health officials are monitoring the Southern Hemisphere, where the "virus is already on an unstoppable course" and where it's feared it might combine with the seasonal flu strain and develop drug resistance.[267] The U.S. goal of pandemic plans is to make 600 million doses in six months, enough for two doses for each American, according to experts, with an estimated cost of $8 billion.[146]
Although the seasonal flu vaccine provides little or no protection against H1N1 swine flu, health experts recommend immunization to help prevent people from being infected with both at once. "Vaccination against seasonal influenza should begin as soon as vaccine is available and continue throughout the influenza season," the CDC's Anne Schuchat said, and wants 83 percent of the population to get an annual flu vaccine," noting that only 40 percent of the U.S. population received one last year.[268]
Two injections will be required three weeks apart for the swine flu and a third will be needed for seasonal flu to provide maximum immunity. Children younger than 9 years old will need four shots.[269] The CDC plans to administer the vaccine through clinics set up by state health organizations, but some experts feel that health departments are under-funded and could get "fatigued."[269]
Treatment


Home treatment remedies

The Mayo Clinic and Medline list a number of ways to help ease symptoms, including adequate liquid intake and rest, soup to ease congestion, and over-the-counter drugs to relieve pain. Aspirin, for instance, "is very effective for treating fever in adults" in children and adolescents, aspirin is not usually given due to the risk of Reye's syndrome.[ over-the-counter drugs relieve symptoms, they do not kill the virus.[ Most patients were expected to recover without medical attention, although those with pre-existing or underlying medical conditions were more prone to complications.

Antiviral drugs

Recommended usage and availability

According to the CDC, antiviral drugs can be given to treat those who become severely ill, two of which are recommended for swine flu symptoms: oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza). To be most useful, they must be taken within 2 days of showing symptoms. They work by deactivating an enzyme the virus needs to grow and spread. Therefore, when taken soon after symptoms are noticed, "they may shorten the illness by a day or so," according to the Mayo Clinic. Oseltamivir is an oral medication, but zanamivir is inhaled through a device similar to an asthma inhaler and shouldn't be used by anyone with respiratory conditions, such as asthma and lung disease.[270]
Furthermore, as the flu spreads, there could be temporary shortages of these drugs. The U.S. CDC therefore recommends Tamiflu treatment primarily for people hospitalized with swine flu; people at risk of serious flu complications due to underlying medical conditions; patients at risk of serious flu complications because they are pregnant, under age 5, or over age 65; and to prevent infection of people at risk of serious flu complications who have been exposed to someone with swine flu.

Anti-viral resistance risk

Marie-Paule Kiely, WHO vaccine research director, said that it was "almost a given" that the new strain would undergo reassortment with resistant seasonal flu viruses and acquire resistance, but it was not yet known at what level resistance would appear.[275] If the virus develops oseltamivir resistance, the "world’s Tamiflu stockpiles will be all but worthless," and doctors would have to switch to the more expensive and harder to take, Relenza.[274] [276] At least five recent instances of Tamiflu-resistant viruses were reported in July. There have also been reports of summer camps urging children to bring the antiviral drug Tamiflu and take it as a preventative measure, but that has concerned the CDC since widespread use could also lead to increased resistance. Currently, almost all seasonal flu strains are resistant to the drug and the genes for such resistance could be very easily transmitted to the new virus, the CDC warns.

Possible side effects

Both medications can cause side effects, including lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and trouble breathing and it is recommended that patients discuss possible side effects with their doctor before starting any antiviral medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required the maker of Tamiflu to include a warning that people with the flu, particularly children, may be at increased risk of self-injury and confusion after taking Tamiflu and that individuals with the flu who take Tamiflu be closely monitored for signs of unusual behavior.[270]
Warnings of online purchasing
When buying these medications, some agencies warn against buying from online sources, with WHO estimating that half the drugs sold by online pharmacies without a physical address are counterfeit.