The Future of Influenza Vaccine Design
The Future of Influenza Vaccine Design
The impact of influenza can only be reduced through a vaccine. Today, the U.S. has only approved the use of inactivated influenza virus vaccines, and to be effective, these have to contain an H1N1, and H3N2, and a B virus component. In the past, at least one of these components had to be modified due to antigenic drift of the strain circulating the human population.
Vaccines are prepared by growing viral strains in embryonated eggs, and then the virus is purified and turned noninfectious through chemical inactivation. The influenza vaccines available today are effective depending on the antigenic ‘match’ of the circulating viruses with the strains used for vaccination, the person’s age, and his or her immune status.
Here’s what is expected in the future; ask your pharmaceutical consultant for further details:
1. Cold-adapted influenza virus vaccine
This type of live vaccine has been used successfully in Russia to protect millions of children. The U.S. has been trying to develop such a vaccine for over 20 years, but the license has not been approved yet.
There are several important advantages here:
– Live-virus vaccines can be administered through nasal spray, which is easier and less costly than the intramuscular option.
– These can induce local neutralizing immunity and cell mediated immune responses, which could result in a longer-lasting and better cross-protective immunity.
– Overall protection may improve for certain age groups, for example, kids 6 months to 9 years of age, with evidence of a massive reduction in secondary bacterial infections causing otitis media.
The more live influenza virus vaccines are used, the more benefits, risks, and economic consequences of this approach will be known.
2. Genetically engineered live influenza virus vaccines
The introduction of techniques to engineer site-specific changes in the genomes of …
Difference Between Epidemic and Pandemic Level Outbreaks – Medications & Precautions
Difference Between Epidemic and Pandemic Level Outbreaks – Medications & Precautions
Usual medications of influenza suppress the spread of the influenza virus when taken in correct and adequate doses. In children, anti-influenza vaccines are available in order to protect the young against the onslaught of the virus. In general, the best way in avoiding contracting influenza is through yearly vaccination. There is also a difference between epidemic and pandemic in terms of effective vaccination. However, this is not always practical. But there are of course some healthy practices to generally avoid the spread of the flu, and these include:
Avoiding close contact with sick people, and for sick people to isolate themselves from spreading the disease to others.
When you have influenza, make sure you get ample rest and refrain from going out of your home.
Covering your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing to minimize the spread of the virus.
Regularly and frequently washing the hands to prevent the spread of germs.
Avoiding the touching of the eyes, nose, and mouth, in order to minimize the transmission of the virus causing germs.
Generally, it was discovered that most of the patients have only mild symptoms, but to the higher risk groups, such as people who have diabetes, asthma, heart ailments, those who are obese, pregnant women, and those who have a lowered immune system, there was basis for urgent concern. In extreme cases, the pattern of progression of the disease starts with a 3 to 5 days manifestation of the initial symptoms.
After this time, the patient’s health deteriorates fast, with the usual occurrence of respiratory failure within a day, and requiring immediate and intensive medical attention.
Similar to other influenza strains, the swine flu virus or AH1N1 virus is communicable through sneezing or coughing, or touching contaminated …
3 Most Common Pediatric Illnesses
3 Most Common Pediatric Illnesses
Children get sick all too often. Sometimes it feels like they hardly get over one illness and they go right into another, leaving you completely frazzled and sleep deprived. If you are a parent and this is exactly how you feel right now, it may help to know that all children get sick. It is like a rite of passage that they all have to go through and usually, the illness will just go away on its own after a while and there is absolutely no cause for concern. Knowledge is power however and knowing a little bit about the most common children diseases can help you administer the required treatment calmly and without getting overly stressed.
3 of the most common pediatric illnesses are:
1. Hand, foot and mouth disease
2. Influenza
3. Asthma
Causes & Symptoms of Hand, Foot, Mouth Disease
Usually seen in 2-6 year olds, hand, foot and mouth disease is a very contagious disease caused by a viral infection. It can be spread by direct contact and also by inhaling infected air. The symptoms include low grade fever along with small sized red dots on the hands and foot and in the mouth, which quickly develop into tiny blisters. Washing your child’s hand frequently through the day is the best way to manage the painful symptoms.
Causes & Symptoms of Influenza
Influenza, or flu, is arguably the most common of all childhood illnesses. It is not uncommon for a child to be sick with the flu at least 3 or more times in a year. Caused by the influenza virus, the symptoms of this condition are typically all over body aches, high fever up to 104 F, headache, nausea and sometimes uncontrollable shivering.
Influenza is contagious. Be prepared for everyone …
The H1N1 Virus Inoculations Arrive This Month – Is Your Online Business Ready?
The H1N1 Virus Inoculations Arrive This Month – Is Your Online Business Ready?
The shots for the H1N1 Virus (swine flu) are just starting to become available for distribution this month (October). Where I live has already had 4 deaths attributed to the swine flu. The most recent death was tragically a young child. We will receive about 43,500 doses of the nasal spray. It is going to take about 2 to 3 weeks for the distribution channels to get established for all the service centers to provide the vaccine for the primary shipment to follow. The initial shipment is for vaccinating health-care and emergency medical workers.
What originally was thought to require two shots spread over a two month period has changed to just one dose. In a previous article I wrote about what a great idea it would be to create a marketing campaign around the H1N1 virus. I still want to encourage anyone medically inclined or in the health services industry to look into affiliate marketing to create their own business internet money online opportunity for making internet money online.
Here are three things you should be aware of in planning for the H1N1 virus. They will help you focus your marketing campaign to take advantage of this opportunity for making internet money online.
(1) Did you know some hospitals have been planning for almost seven years through surge planning for an epidemic such as the H1N1 virus? Clearly the point to be made here is planning is an ongoing thing. Even though you might think seven years is a long time, your life will likely span ten times that so planning is a continual thing. We all should be planning for our future. This planning should include every aspect of our life to include our heath, …
Early Precautions to Stop Flu Pandemics
Early Precautions to Stop Flu Pandemics
Immediate treatment is the only effective way to prevent flu from becoming a pandemic. It has happened in the past, as in the 2009 swine flu pandemic and the 2004 bird flu attack, and it can happen again. Talking of early treatment and there is one drug most doctors trust for prevention and treatment of influenza. Tamiflu oseltamivir, the medicine which was sold in high numbers in the UK during the 2009 flu outbreak, can be the medicine of choice if you want to tackle the virus that caused swine influenza and a few other types of flu. Even better news is that you can buy Tamiflu online from the comfort of your home.
What is Tamiflu? How can it help prevent flu pandemics?
Marketed by Roche, Tamiflu is the trade name for an ingredient known as oseltamivir. It is the active ingredient of the medicine. The FDA approved Tamiflu in 1999. It was a significant event in the history of flu treatment because until then, there were 2 other antiviral medicines – amantadine and rimantadine – for controlling influenza A. But many variants of the flu virus had already become resistant to those two ingredients, which made oseltamivir the preferred choice of many doctors. And its effectiveness was proved beyond doubt when the 2009 flu pandemic broke out.
Tamiflu oseltamivir works in two ways – it protects you from catching flu and it treats flu when you are symptomatic. For prevention, you have to take the medicine as soon as you have a hunch that flu can attack you or if you met an infected person. And for treatment, you have to take Tamiflu within 48 hours from the appearance of flu symptoms. Some of the symptoms of flu can sometimes be confused …
Using Diuretics As A High Blood Pressure Medication
Using Diuretics As A High Blood Pressure Medication
High blood pressure medications fall into various categories. And, each category is designed to tackle a specific symptom of hypertension.
One of the more popular categories of hypertension medications is diuretics. Some people refer to diuretics as water pills. This is because when you take them, they help the body to rid itself of the excess water, along with salt, in the body. It is the getting rid of the salt that helps to lower the blood pressure.
There are various types of diuretics. One of the problems of diuretics is that, although they are very successful in eliminating excess salt from the body, many will also eliminate potassium. And, potassium is very successful in helping the body to manage the blood pressure. When you lose potassium, your blood pressure levels generally go up. Fortunately, there are some diuretics that will not force the body to excrete potassium. If you have a choice, it’s often better to use this type.
Even though they can be effective, diuretics are not for everyone. In some patients, they will trigger dizziness or disorientation. A more serious side effect can be arrhythmia. So, if this is the first time you are taking a diuretic, you need to monitor your symptoms carefully and notify your doctor of any troubling reactions.
Another common symptom is muscle cramps. This is primarily due to the loss of potassium through frequent urination. Normally, this can be resolved by either switching to a medication that does not drain potassium from your body, or by simply increasing the number of high potassium foods in your diet.
A percentage of people are actually allergic to most diuretics. This is because many of them are sulfa based and a large percentage of the population has …
Bird Flu: Chicken Owners Worst Enemy
Bird Flu: Chicken Owners Worst Enemy
Every chicken owner knows that bird flu, also known as avian influenza is an incredible deadly disease for your pets if it is not prevented and watched for. It is the number one killer of chickens in Asia and other parts of the world. Bird flu was first found in chickens in China and quickly became a very widespread disease, which killed millions of chickens, destroyed many businesses and dropped the chicken industry to an incredibly low level.
The worst part about the avian flu is that it also can effect humans, which makes it a very dangerous disease. This disease can be passed from chickens to chickens, chickens to humans and humans to chickens, that makes it very contagious and is the reason the health sectors take this disease very seriously. Avian flu is not just a bad cold, it can kill an entire group of chickens within a week and if it is passed to a human it can spread quickly to hundreds because they very likely will not realize they have contracted it.
The amount of time between exposure to the disease and when it presents symptoms is generally between three and five days. Up until the disease because noticeable, the person will likely just be showing signs of a common cold; a fever, cough, sore muscles and a sore throat. Sometimes the only way to tell that you actually have the bird flu is if you have conjunctivitis. If someone has seen these symptoms and ignored it, thinking it was the common cold, it will likely lead to the more intense symptoms. They will start experiencing viral pneumonia and difficulty breathing known as respiratory distress. These are the most common causes of deaths.
This deadly disease can be prevented by …
Vaccinations For Mumps
Vaccinations For Mumps
Mumps is an RNA viral disease that forms part of the paramyxovirus family. It is spread through contaminated items and surfaces. This virus is mostly known to affect children from two through to twelve, however adults can also be affected. The virus incubation period is between sixteen to eighteen days, ranging from twelve to twenty five days after exposure to the virus. People are at a higher risk of infection if they spend time around someone one either two days prior and/or five days after the swelling of the glands. Unvaccinated people tend to have a higher risk of contracting the virus.
Contracting Mumps –
Mumps can be spread through saliva (kissing/sneezing). The virus is also present in throat and nasal discharge. Their is no real way to avoid this illness, but taking precautionary measures such as cleaning all surfaces that and infected person has come in contact with will help. Most vaccinations such as the flu vaccine reduce risks of contracting various illnesses. Likewise, receiving a vaccination for mumps will help to lower the chances of getting the virus or at least lower the effects that mumps can have.
The symptoms of mumps to look out for include: –
=Fever and pain upon opening the mouth
=Swollen glands and cheeks
=Headache and earache that can be aggravated by chewing
=Sore Muscles
=Lowered appetite
=In boys and men, swelling of the testicles is common
=Feeling lethargic
=In women, abdominal pain
=Upper abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting
=Aversion to light and a stiff neck
=Moderately high temperature that can last up to four days
=Dryness of the mouth
=Having acidic or citric drinks or food may cause discomfort
=In some cases seizures may occur, …
The Benefits of Getting a Yearly Flu Shot
The Benefits of Getting a Yearly Flu Shot
The benefits of getting a flu shot each year will keep you and your family from a lot of aggravation, inconvenience and prevent serious complications. The flu vaccine each year is the expert’s best guess at which respiratory viruses will be affecting us each fall and winter. This complicated process of monitoring influenza activity around the globe is akin to long range weather forecasting. A lot of science and intelligent guessing goes in to a process that is simply not completely understood. Remember we are discussing the respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, sore throat, cough, generalized muscle aches and headache. Most of the time gastrointestinal symptoms are not part of this illness. Although some children with seasonal influenza may experience nausea or diarrhea, the typical seasonal flu is a distinctly different beast than viral gastroenteritis or “stomach flu”.
Seasonal flu can be a very sneaky predator. It is usually spread by mucus droplets from a cough, sneeze or even talking if a droplet is broadcast at close proximity to another person. It is not generally airborne over more than a few feet. It can be acquired from touching a contaminated surface then transferring it to your own nose or mouth. Another dilemma with human to human spread of the disease is that infected individuals are contagious before they appear to be sick. Infected people are contagious one day before they demonstrate any symptoms and can continue to spread it for another week after they become ill. People who are particularly vulnerable are young children, pregnant women or people who have weakened immune systems. They may also be at risk earlier or for longer periods of time than healthy people with no chronic medical problems. These same vulnerable individuals may be at …
Comprehensive Flu Home Treatment Advice
Comprehensive Flu Home Treatment Advice
Influenza is said to have no treatment but there are actually two kinds of drugs that can reduce the symptoms and length of infection. These two drugs are often used to treat flu of the A and B varieties. If you are not a fan of drugs and other chemically produced medications, you can also try out some flu home treatments and remedies that can effectively ease your suffering.
Influenza is a viral condition that is spread through contact with an infected person. Water droplets from sneezing, coughing or even speaking can introduce the virus to an unsuspecting individual. There is an incubation period before the virus manifests through symptoms of fever, chills, muscle aches, headaches, cold like symptoms and feeling extremely tired. Flu home treatment may suffice for some, while others with more severe symptoms may need antiviral drugs and even hospitalization.
Cold Like Symptoms
Some kinds of flu may manifest with symptoms similar to a cold, which is why some cold flu treatments and remedies focus on the cold-like symptoms. Breathing in salty or hot air can help to relieve a stuffy nose as well as help the flow of nasal discharge. Postnasal drip can also be eased when sleeping by sleeping with a raised head. This means that you need to pile up the pillows to a comfortable level and sleep with your head on them to a certain degree. This helps to ease the coughing that comes with a postnasal drip.
Another flu home treatment for one that has cold like symptoms is to drink lots of water to replace fluids lost from the fever and to ease the sore throat. You might also feel the urge to urinate frequently when you have the flu, so it is best to replace …