A Swine Flu Vaccine could be Available... in October.

A vaccine for the H1N1 swine flu virus could be ready sometimes next Fall, if research and testing on this strain of influenza A proceed on pace during this summer, a leading U.S. health official said Thursday. Candidate viruses have been shipped to vaccine manufacturers. But federal officials will have to monitor the safety and effectiveness of any vaccines that might be produced, before a full-scale production is to be put forth, word is that a vaccine could be ready for October of this year.

For the moment it's still not even clear whether a swine flu vaccine is needed. Any decision to move forward would be based on several factors, take into consideration the severity and spread of the virus and whether there's a safe and effective vaccine to be made available.

At this moment, infections with the H1N1 swine flu virus is considered to be mild and recovery is fairly quick, as is the case with seasonal flu, officials said. On Thursday, the CDC was reporting a total of 8,585 cases in 48 states in the USA, including 12 deaths. So far, testing has found that the virus remains susceptible to two common antiviral drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza, according to the CDC.

This recent strain identified H1N1 virus continues to behave much like seasonal H1N1 viruses, which in parts, explain why this flu strain affects more younger people. Seasonal H1N1 often causes more disease in younger people, compared with the other strains that can be more common in older people.

Some older people may have partial immunity to the H1N1 swine flu virus as result to possible exposure to a H1N1 flu strain that circulated prior to 1957. We know that 64% of cases of swine flu infection in the United States involved people aged 5 to 24, the 65 plus population is at 1%, officials said last week.

One big difference in the new H1N1 strain is that it is spreading forward at the time that the usual seasonal flu season is ending. The virus is circulating much later than annual flu viruses. The seasonal flu viruses is pretty much a thing of the past, but we're continuing to see this strain circulate, even now at the beginning of June.

During the coming months, scientists will be looking to see if the swine flu virus mutates or becomes resistant to antiviral medications, or how easily spread it is among people. The flu season is winding down in the Northern Hemisphere but is just beginning in the Southern Hemisphere.

Many agrees there's no way to tell now if the H1N1 virus will be more virulent when, and if, it returns to the Northern Hemisphere with the approach of winter. Whether it will dominate among the seasonal flu viruses or whether it will disappear is not predictable right now.

The World Health Organization said Thursday that 48 countries have reported 13,398 cases of infection, including 95 deaths, most of them in Mexico, where the influenza outbreak began.

One thing is for sure is this virus has gone a long way since it first appeared late last month. Just 2 weeks ago cases were considerably fewer and the spread quite limited as compared to todays bill of health.

October, if any effective vaccine is put forth, is a long time from now and who knows what is awaiting us in the coming months.

Calling this influenza strain a pendamic is becoming a stronger possibility as every new day goes by, and it remains that little is still known of this problem and what to do to effectively protect us against it.

There is a guide titled "Swine Flu Survival Guide" presently available written by an ex-Marine Officer who, through his career, learned and applied vigorous survival training in a numerous array of circumstances. He has spent his working life putting together strategies to survive through life-threatening

His take on the dangerous situation is to explain clearly, in plain language, a strategy to assure that you and your loved ones are and remain in good heath during these dangerous spread of this deadly virus. The subject is well-documented and gives you all the knowledge to safely live through this swine flu outbreak.

For more information or to obtain the Swine Flu Survival Guide, follow the link below.

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