Going to have a whinge

Was on steroid inhaler for 12 years. Taken off it in January because my asthma was very well controlled. Back on it again due to blooming flu last week, flu jab last month did nothing apparently.

Ah well whinge over.

[yaf_user681_33231]

The problem with the flu jab is that it takes upto 6 weeks to give the immunity from the virus. I always make a point of having it as soon as it becomes available, in early Oct.

[KateMoss]

The flu vaccine only protects you against a particular version of the flu virus.

Basically, when the flu vaccine was made it was to protect against the version of flu at that time some months ago .... Say 'Flu 1.1' By the time the flu vaccine has been cultured from that version, the flu virus may have evolved / ugraded itself to a new version 'Flu 1.2' which the vaccine will not protect you against.

If only vaccinations were as easy as updating your antivirus software ..............

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I suppose though that if the newer strain (Flu 1.2) is quite similar to the original strain (Flu 1.1), then the current vaccine might still be beneficial in lessening the effects of having the 'newer' flu.

[KateMoss]

Ginny, I don't think viruses quite work in the same way as computers LOL.

Vaccines or having the virus an recovering from it provides us with imunity to that particular version only.

Think about the cold virus, we get colds again and again, that is because we get over one, get immune to that one but when it comes back it may have changed and we get another cold. Same thing with the flu virus. That is why we are vaccinated every year. I am not sure that it does lesssen the severity of the flu?

Any Virologists out there can help... My A level biology (Microbiology) is a wee bit rusty!

Basically, I think the vaccine makes antibodies, like unique keys that fit and disable a specific virus with a matching lock. If one bit of the key doesn't fit, it wont work. It is like your bunch of keys - the back door and the front door ones may look very similar but they won't open the other doors.

Does all that make sence??

Kate

PS I am not a lock smith as well as a computer geek LOL!

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Sorry Kate. Indeed that does make sense lol - as do the analogies between computers and locks :).

As 'flu viruses naturally mutate over successive generations, then the predicted strains used to create a vaccine must provide a good match with a circulating 'flu virus - the door may be a slightly different colour but the key still works. However, if the virus randomly mutates to produce a completely *new* strain, then the antibodies generated after vaccination won't match - so the key doesn't fit.

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*Disclaimer - I am not a Virologist - sorry*

Brushing off my slightly-dusty virology knowledge - Kate, yes you are bascially correct. The 'flu virus has two specific antigenic proteins, AFAIR, H- and N-. You may have heard references to H5 N1 when all the Bird 'flu panic was about, and the numbers refer to the sub type of the antigen.

Or something like that.

Anyway, yes, the body produces antibodies to a specific protein, so if the protein changes, it won't ""recognise"" it. The clever scientific boffins do their best to predict which ""strain"" of 'flu will be circulating most in the community, and it is this which we are vaccinated against. The seasonal vaccine, though, won't protect against all strains of 'flu, and neither will it protect against coughs/colds or the winter cold bug, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

HTH,

CathBear.