Is there a vaccine against H1N1 (Swine flu)?

It is possible that the approaching flu season may be severe this fall, due to the H1N1 flu outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offer guidance for specific groups to prepare for the flu season.

Preparation guidelines are available for day and residential camps, child care programs, schools and colleges, parents and caregivers, pregnant women, businesses and employers and more.

The CDC determined that this novel virus is contagious and is spreading from person-to-person, likely in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Human infections with the novel H1N1 virus are ongoing in the United States and worldwide. H1N1 viruses are not spread by food, and you cannot get swine flu from eating pork or pork products. You may wish to view answers to frequently asked questions about swine flu or information on H1N1 flu in Spanish.

WHO's website offers an interactive map that shows a timeline of worldwide H1N1 flu cases as they were reported to WHO, beginning April 26, 2009. The CDC and state and local health agencies continue to work together to track cases in the U.S., monitor the situation and gather information about this virus.

Please note: The CDC warns consumers to be wary of products marketed online that claim to prevent, cure, treat, or diagnose novel H1N1 flu. You may wish to view the H1N1 consumer fraud warning. A list of fraudulent H1N1 products is also available from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Symptoms and Steps to Protect Yourself
The symptoms of this flu are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting. Severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with novel H1N1 flu infection. Like seasonal flu, novel H1N1 flu may make underlying chronic medical conditions worse.

There are everyday steps you can take that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza.

H1N1 Vaccinations
On September 15, 2009, the FDA announced that it approved four vaccines against the novel H1N1 virus. The vaccines will be distributed nationally after the initial lots become available. For more information, please visit the FDA's Vaccines Approved for H1N1 Flu Virus web page.

You may wish to view the CDC's novel H1N1 vaccination recommendations web page for more information on vaccines. Answers to frequently asked questions about novel H1N1 vaccination planning are also available.

Flu.gov also offers information about H1N1 vaccination and planning, as well as an H1N1 resource kit with information about what you can do to prepare for the upcoming flu season and how to protect yourself against both H1N1 influenza and other types of flu

General information about the process and timeline of manufacturing pandemic flu vaccines is available on the WHO website.

Additional Resources:

• What to Do If You Get Flu-Like Symptoms
• Avian Flu (Bird Flu)

By usa.gov