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2005-11-21 Science & Technology

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Posted by Steve White 2005-11-21 00:00|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Flu vaccines are not that effective. Their effectiveness depends on several factors and varies from 80%+ in kids, around 50% in adults to less than 20% in old people, and lower when new strains arise. It seems that what makes pandemic strains pandemic is their ability to evade immune protections, i.e. vaccines will be less efective than normal.

Posted by phil_b 2005-11-21 01:44|| 2005-11-21 01:44|| Front Page Top

#2 I read an article about a new flu vaccine that guards against all types of flu, current and future strains. That was about two months ago, now not a peep. Was it a bullshit story or was it real, and why havent I heard anything else about it. It was based on some basic principle of flu infection and was not strain specific. Like most worthwhile inventions it was probably bought by Glaxo and pigeon holed to it would not be out there to compete with their products.

Posted by bigjim-ky 2005-11-21 08:53|| 2005-11-21 08:53|| Front Page Top

#3 Richard Preston's "Demon in the Freezer" details how the smallpox eradication effort progressed and is an excellent case study in how pandemics are dealt with and should be tackled.

Note that mass vaccination proved to be ineffective in smallpox for the same reasons it would be with a flu pandemic, mutation of disease.

The way this is dealt with is containment, and response must be lightning fast.

Good read though!

EP

Posted by ElvisHasLeftTheBuilding 2005-11-21 18:06|| 2005-11-21 18:06|| Front Page Top

#4 at least Sen Brownback is making sure excessive chicken-choking...oh,wait....I missed that one,damn

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-11-21 19:16|| 2005-11-21 19:16|| Front Page Top

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