Swine flu - 'Vaccines are not the answer'

This article was originally published in the comments section of the Nursing Times website and

There is a great deal of misinformation in the West that we have an antiviral vaccine to combat the new swine flu virus. In truth, there is no currently no drug that will protect the global population against the virus if it spreads.

The present state of preparedness for a pandemic caused by pigs, birds and other animals is wholly inadequate. If it happened today, hundreds of millions could die.

Pigs are one of the closest genetic matches to humans, so the mutation from pig influenza to human influenza, is probably the most dangerous.

The problem with the present strategy is that it is predominantly targeting a drug cure. This is a totally false strategy for two reasons:

1. Flu viruses are constantly remodelling themselves and where when a new strain occurs, like the present state in Mexico, it will take six months to develop a drug to combat it. It has to be noted that the Spanish flu (swine flu), which killed between 20 million and 100 million people nearly 100 years ago, did its worst in the first 26 weeks.
2. Distribution of any new antidote would be a huge logistical problem and any vaccine could come too late for many.

There are only two modern-day drugs supposed to save human life from any pandemic, Relenza and Tamiflu,and both are ineffective when dealing with certain new strains.

Both these drugs have to be taken within 48 hours of infection, but how does anyone identify that they have flu quick enough and get a dose within 48 hours? Fully identified symptoms can take several days to show. Indeed, medical advice is to stay at home if you think that you have flu and to avoid surgeries.

This means any flu infected people will have to wait until the doctor or nurse visits with medication. But there are too few doctors and nurses to cope with a pandemic, and few would receive medication in time.

For for all the above reasons, an international and national strategy based on a drugs solution is not the answer; we have to look at how animal flu makes the transition to humans.

Dr David Hill, World Innovation Foundation

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