1. Swine Flu (H1N1) FAQ Slideshow Pictures
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Medical Author:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Simple measures have been shown to reduce the risk of transmission of influenza. These include frequent hand washing with soap and water or disinfection with alcohol. People should try to avoid touching their face or mucous membranes. The influenza virus can live about two hours on surfaces that become contaminated. During coughs and sneezes, the mouth should be covered with a tissue or a sleeve. In areas with large numbers of cases, it is best to minimize nonessential exposure to crowds. Sick people should stay home whenever possible.

To reduce the risk of spreading the flu to other family members, everyone in the household should wash their hands frequently. Alcohol-based sanitizing gels are available in stores and may be used instead of soap and water when hands are not visibly soiled.

Rarely, if a person has been exposed to a confirmed case of any type of swine influenza, a physician may recommend a course of medications to reduce the risk of disease. This is called "prophylaxis" and is usually reserved for people at very high risk for complications, such as pregnant women. The CDC has issued guidelines for prophylaxis in special circumstances (www.cdc.gov).

A vaccine against H1N1swine influenza is available. There are two types of vaccine: the nasal vaccine and the shot. The nasal vaccine has a weakened ("attenuated") virus and is administered by sniffing. The nasal vaccine is used for people 2-49 years of age. The injection (shot) does not contain living viruses, only inactivated viruses, and may be given to anyone over the age of 6 months. Your doctor can help you decide which vaccine is best for you. People over the age of 9 years should receive a single dose, whereas children aged 6 months to 9 years will receive two doses one month apart.

It is important to point out that the 2009 novel H1N1 vaccine was not related to the 1976 vaccine. The 2009 vaccine was made using a more modern process, and the 2009 virus was very dissimilar to the 1976 virus.

Some people have died from bacterial infections that attack lungs already damaged by influenza. For this reason, the CDC recommends that the pneumococcal vaccine (against pneumococcus bacteria that may cause pneumonia) be offered to all people with underlying chronic illness and all people over 65 years of age. In addition, people who survive novel H1N1 (swine) flu are still at risk for the regular seasonal flu. For this reason, the CDC continues to recommend the seasonal influenza vaccine be used as recommended.

Currently, there is no available vaccine against H3N2v swine influenza.

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