INFLUENZA – “SWINE FLU”
Every so often, perhaps at 10 or more year intervals, the virus may undergo a major change and antibodies from previous infections or immunisation with vaccine will be totally ineffective.
The virus is usually named from the year and location of the laboratory where it is first isolated.
The great influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 was thought to be due to a strain commonly called “swine flu” because it occurs in pigs as well as man.
Fearing another pandemic, the U.S. Government mounted a mass immunisation campaign.
More than 50 million people were immunised and the outbreak was confined to a small area. The feared epidemic did not eventuate.
*460/71/1*
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.