H1N1 Vaccine

According to The World Health Organization, the H1N1 Flu pandemic has officially expired. The vaccine which was designed for the virus, commonly known as “The Swine Flu,” was administered en masse when the United States government declared it a “national health emergency.” As of August 2010, The WHO effectively removed H1N1 from its list of public health threats.

During the height of the Swine Flu pandemic in 2009, there were a total of 43,677 laboratory confirmed cases in the United States. In the following year of 2010, the number of confirmed cases and mortalities decreased dramatically. The majority of remaining cases are circulating in warmer, temperate climates such as parts of India, Africa, and Central America – which also show dwindling number of infection rates.

In many parts of the developing world, debate ensues over the proposed threat. Though data has varied, Harvard University epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch estimates the overall mortality rate to have actually been around 0.007%-0.045%, which is comparable to any flu season. In addition, the Head of the European Health Council, Wolfgang Wordog, claimed that the vaccines had been developed too quickly for them to be effective, and that their ingredients had been insufficiently tested.

Though most experts agree that it is nearly impossible to replicate every flu virus mutation, the vaccine is still available for the remainder of endemic regions. The majority of strains still appear to be vulnerable to antiviral therapy administered using Oseltamivir, with only about 1% of strains showing resistance. Though vaccine campaign efforts have ended, experts still recommend getting the H1N1 vaccine if you are traveling to any areas that may be endemic.