There are lot of misconceptions and rumors existing about flu everywhere. As per experts, rumors as hard to defend as the virus which causes flu. And with the advent of swine flu recently in US, people are getting panic with number of myths spreading about it.

There are rural myths as well as urban myths that exist about flu as per William Schaffner, the chairman of Vanerbit medical school in Nashville. Regrettably, even among health care employees who should be aware of the disease well, there exist some myths about flu. Known that swine flu and seasonal flu could be fatal, everybody should be aware of the true facts about it. Some important misconceptions which prevail about it are mentioned here,

Misconception 1: Seasonal flu vaccination can also prevent swine flu

But regrettably, it does not. The swine flu virus which appeared initially in 2009 April in Mexico, has a strange strain of the virus which causes influenza. There is no vaccination for swine flu. Even if we get flu vaccination this season, there is no guarantee for protection from swine influenza later.

WHO (world Health Organization) and CDC are making some steps for developing swine flu vaccine but there is no result so far. Even if they start research now, it will take lot of time to complete.

Misconception 2: Seasonal flu is Harmless

There is lot of concentration towards swine flu, but we must always think that the seasonal flu could also be serious and dangerous to our life. Many people consider that just a bad cold but it could be worse and cause more harm.

Apart from cough and congestion, people also have fever and body pain which is not common with usual cold. When they get flu, they are aware of it. They understand that they have got stuck by Mack truck.

Misconception 3: Pork Products could transmit Swine flu

Many individuals have reacted to the swine flu eruptions by banning the intake of pork and slaughtering pigs. The experts have stated that pork products do not spread swine flu. Though the origination of virus occurred with pigs, it has slowly transferred to human beings. The spread is now only between individuals and not from pork to human beings. The pork should be cooked safely and heated till 160 degree to kills the harmful viruses and bacteria.

Misconception 4: Flu vaccine can cause flu

There is no possibility that the flu vaccine could cause flu and it is impossible for such thing to happen as per experts. The vaccines contain only dead virus cells and they contain harm us in any way. The Flumist is the online nasal flu vaccine available, but the virus is engineered especially to remove portions of it which cause the disease.

Misconception 5: No Medical Treatments are Available for flu

Antiviral drugs can help in treatment if the patient is taken within forty eight hours after getting flu symptoms. These drugs like Relenza and Tamiflu cannot cure the disease but decrease the sickness duration and reduce the contagiousness of the disease.

Are you aware about the H1N1 swine flu vaccine 2009? If not, it is high time you acquaint yourself with it. Is H1N1 safe? One of the best and easiest methods of learning more about the swine flue vaccine is the internet. The newspapers and television channels are all trying their best to spread awareness and caution about the epidemic and the preventive means as well.

There are a plethora of myths and questions clouding H1N1 and the safety of the vaccination is being questioned as well. Do you know about the outlook of the government scientists regarding this vaccine? The swine flu vaccine formulated in 1976 had detrimental effects so how can people use this? What do the drug makers think about this?

Safety of The Vaccine

As drug makers always conclude that none of the vaccines are 100% harmless for everybody. People have varied allergies and people who are allergic to eggs should refrain from taking flu vaccines as eggs are used to produce these medicines. Safety of the vaccine is subjective in nature.

You should not be shocked as some of the flu medicines result in placid and familiar reactions. It is an established fact that every one out of three persons develops soreness, swollen arm or some kind of swelling. Around 10-15% of the people feels fatigued or are plagued with headaches. Fever is a common thing.

Vaccines can end up prompt severe and rare reactions as well especially for those who lack an evident allergy or any sensitivity.

Why Take The Risk?

The government has given a green signal to H1N1 which is popular as a swine flu vaccine all over the world. It has been stated that the risk involved in treating patients affected from swine flu is very minor in nature. You will be surprised to learn that every one person out of a population of million people that take flu vaccines may suffer from a rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).

The flu has severe repercussions like GBS in many cases. A large part of the population is susceptible to develop swine flu is is obvious that the risk of using H1N1 is minimized than the risk of the disease.

During clinical examinations approximately 10,000-15,000 people (both children and adults) have undergone vaccination of H1N1 from different brands and no serious ailments have been caused to them.

But, yet there is no solid proof that the vaccination is harmless. Clinical assessments have not yet proved anything dreadful happening to the one or two people who have been vaccinated as well.

Mark Mulligan, Managing Director, and executive director of the Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Centre in Atlanta clearly stated that there may be certain invisible side effects but the chances are very diminished for such an occurrence.

The Health and Human Services Department, The Defense Department and major HMOs with enviable medical records are working together and are trying to implement a specialized scrutiny for H1N1 vaccine. In the wake of swine flu Mulligan has told that they are trying their level best and using the latest technological equipments and procedures to detect any repercussion of H1N1. Sooner or later they would be able to conclude the side-effects of the vaccine.