Canadian news article on Bird flu

www.cbc.ca...

I had no idea that a vaccine even existed for bird flu. Looks like I'm safe here in Canada!.

Does it seem like they are overly trying to downplay the threat??

btw first post here

Originally posted by mattihoo
www.cbc.ca...

I had no idea that a vaccine even existed for bird flu. Looks like I'm safe here in Canada!.

Does it seem like they are overly trying to downplay the threat??

btw first post here

Welcome 1st time poster! (I always wanted to say that!)

Don't want to burst your bubble, but any vaccine developed now will probably be from the 2004 sequence, which will vary greatly from any strain that developes now. H5N1 is very adaptable and changes it's cloak often by picking up newer clothes every few months.

Basically, an effective vaccine would have to be created with the pandemic variant itself. If you can hold out for 6-8 months after it starts, a vaccine may then be useful.

Hope I didn't spoil your 1st posting experience.

Thanks for the info. I was actually just looking that up and everything I have seen just confirms what you said. Well....I'm just gonna have to stock up on supplies and wait it out I guess.

mattihoo,

Congrats on your first thread. Gman55 beat me to the punch. Each year the flu vaccine represents the "best" guess as to what strains may be active in that year. It protects you against those specific strains. Any strain not covered can still get at you.

Avian Influenza A aka H5N1 is very adept and changing clothes as Gman55 spoke of, So if a pandemic occurs 4-8 months is the spread I have seen and perhaps longer for the general public to actually get it. NG, military and health care workers would be first in line.