The U.S. has developed a bird flu vaccine that can be prepared when needed, but it's not currently available because health officials haven't deemed it necessary. The latest bird flu cases have been mostly mild.
The U.S. has developed a bird flu vaccine that can be prepared when needed. It’s not currently available because health officials haven’t deemed it necessary. The first version of the bird flu vaccine was officially approved in the U.S. in 2007. But like the normal seasonal flu, bird flu changes over time, so the vaccine would need to be updated with the current strain before it would be effective. Health officials haven’t deemed that necessary at this time.
Usually, these mutations are small, but over time the changes can be significant enough that the immune system can no longer recognize, and therefore fight off, the virus. That’s why health experts recommend people get an annual flu shot, which is updated each year to match the strains of seasonal flu expected to be most prevalent.The current strains of bird flu don’t spread from person-to-person. Scientists say the virus would likely have to undergo a significant mutation to be able to do that. The mutated virus could be similar to the current strain, or could be entirely different from it. Scientists are constantly researching new strains of bird flu and developing components for vaccines that could fight any one of those strains in case vaccines are needed. The CDC says the seasonal flu vaccine will not protect against the bird flu. Still, the CDC recommends receiving the seasonal flu vaccine, especially for people who may be exposed to infected birds in two weeks. The seasonal flu vaccine might reduce the risk a person is infected by both the seasonal flu and bird flu at once. Coinfection of both viruses increases the risk of a major bird flu mutation and of more severe illness
BIRD FLU VACCINE CDC HEALTH OFFICIALS MUTATION
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