Seasonal Flu Vaccine No Match for H1N1 Virus, Health Officials Say

The vaccine given to millions of people every year to combat season influenza does not protect against the new H1N1 “swine flu” virus that has now claimed the lives of 10 Americans and infected at least 5,700 victims in the United States, health officials said.

Officials around the world who are dealing with the emerging pandemic of a deadly and never-before-seen strain of influenza virus had wondered if the existing flu vaccine might prevent the spread of the H1N1 strain.

Since it was first detected in Mexico and the Southwestern U.S. in April, the H1N1 virus has been linked to at least 10,000 illnesses and 80 deaths worldwide.

A recent survey of blood samples from people who received the seasonal flu vaccine found that the samples contained the H1N1 strain, the H3N2 strain, and a strain of influenza B, officials said. The samples were then tested against both season flu viruses and the new unique H1N1 strain.

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the results were that the seasonal flu vaccine “is unlikely to provide protection against the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus.”

Older People May be Immune to H1N1

The CDC said the results of that blood sampling also showed that adults over age 60 may be immune to the H1N1 virus as a result of having been previously exposed to or vaccinated against a similar strain. Officials said people born before 1957 likely carry some degree of pre-existing immunity to the H1N1 virus.

Most people infected and hospitalized due to H1N1 in the U.S. are young adults, teens, and older children, officials said.

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