Flu vaccine of no use against swine flu

Flu vaccine of no use against swine flu; no cases reported in Los Angeles
Updated: 04/26/2009 04:47:44 PM PDT

Even as more cases of swine flu emerged nationwide, Los Angeles County reported none over the weekend, but federal health officials said today they are "very pessimistic" that the seasonal flu vaccine protects against the unique virus infecting people in the United States, Mexico and other countries.

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official said Sunday afternoon that tests of the seasonal vaccine and the new virus show no cross-reaction, suggesting that people who got the vaccine have no added protection against the new bug.

It's possible that people who have been exposed to flu viruses every year - especially older people, with a greater exposure history - may have some natural immunity, the CDC official said in a call with reporters.

Federal health officials called for a public health emergency on Sunday, because of the uncertainty surrounding the strain, an unseen combination of bird-swine-human viruses.

Meanwhile, several countries reported cases of swine flu throughout the day. Mexico reported 1,384 people have been sickened, with 86 deaths.

The United States confirmed there are 20 cases, no deaths.

States affected by swine flu are California, Kansas, New York, Ohio and Texas.

Other countries reported cases,but no deaths.

New Zealand reported 10 suspected cases; Canada confirmed six cases; Spain reported seven suspected cases; France reported one suspected; Israel reported one suspected case.

In the United States, safety measures include roughly 12 million doses of Tamiflu being moved from a federal stockpile to be delivered throughout the nation. Travelers at the borders are being asked about travel to flu-stricken areas.

Safety measures worldwide include airports screening travelers from Mexico for flu symptoms. China, Russia and Taiwan plan to put anyone with symptoms under quarantine. Hong Kong and South Korea warn against travel to Mexican City and three provinces.

Italy, Poland and Venezuela advised citizens to postpone travel to affected areas of Mexico and the United States. For information on swine flu, including prevention, go to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health's website at http://lapublichealth.org/