What is swine flu?

Swine flu is a respiratory diease of pigs. Pigs are one of the few species that can contract strains of flu from different species, providing an ideal melting pot to produce a strain that can jump the species barrier.

The current strain - H1N1 - has the same components as the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that is estimated to have infected 40% of the world's population.

The first doses of an H1N1 vaccine have been produced in Europe. The working assumption is that 2 or 3 jabs will be needed, probably spaced 3 weeks apart.

Pandemic Flu - Don't Panic, Plan

Sir Liam Donaldson: swine flu has been "considerably less lethal than feared".

As the number of new swine flu cases continues to drop, it would appear that the second wave of infection is tailing off.

However, anti virals continue to be issued to people who log on or phone into the National Pandemic Flu Service. The UK pandemic influenza vaccination programme continues for people at high risk for severe disease, health-care workers and healthy children aged between 6 months and 5 years.

So what now? Whilst the focus may return to seasonal flu, there is still the potential for the virus to mutate - the H3 virus has also been detected - and return in a more virulent form. Arrangements that were made, and perhaps not needed, should be reviewed so that they are available if there is another peak of flu - or any other event that might cause shortage of key staff.

For more information please email Biscon or call 0845 076 5637

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