Not bad enough for swine flu - no temperature for instance. Am beginning to recover. Thanks for the kind thoughts.
On the subject of the self-employed and flu inoculations, I was permitted these for years and years because I was SE but I still managed to get flu. I reckon the bugs are just that little bit ahead or there are just too many.
Plum wrote: > On the subject of the self-employed and flu inoculations, I was > permitted these for years and years because I was SE but I still managed > to get flu. I reckon the bugs are just that little bit ahead or there > are just too many.
Well, the jab only costs £8 from Tesco.
It's based upon the flu strains in circulation in Southern Hemisphere's winter, and the previous N Hem winter too. It can't provide protection for any new variants that have cropped up since the ones from which it was cultured.
Generally, you're far more likely to encounter known strains than novel ones, so the jab does give a good general coverage. You just got unlucky.
Yes one of the problems with immune systems of outbred populations is that individuals tend to react in a diverse way to a given infectious agent. The only definitive way to tell if someone has been exposed to H1N1 is to either directly detect the virus (e.g. by PCR cloning and sequencing), or perhaps to detect specific immunity against the virus (e.g. screen for specific antibodies or reactive T-cells). However such diagnostic testing is being prioritised for individuals whose critical care might depend upon the outcome of the result. Anyone with uncomplicated symptoms, mild symptoms, and especially those who are asymptomatic, are unlikely to be tested, and thus will remain undiagnosed and unconfirmed. So there are likely to be lots of people who have had an infection with the virus but not been aware that it was H1N1.
Mike -- o/ \\ // |\ ,_ o Mike Clark <\__,\\ // __o | \ / /\, "A mountain climbing, cycling, skiing, "> || _`\<,_ |__\ \> | caving, antibody engineer and ` || (_)/ (_) | \corn computer user"
|
