Recently, there are news about a death from H5N1 flu in Alberta, Canada. This has caused an influx of patients seeking the flu vaccine at the pharmacy. It is important to clarify that the seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against the H5N1 avian flu virus, however, it is still effective in protecting you from the most common flu virus in Canada, such as the H1N1 flu virus. What is the H5N1 avian flu?
H5N1 is an avian flu virus that is commonly found in poultry across Asia and the Middle East. Most patients infected with the H5N1 virus have come in close contact with sick or dead and infected poultry. The majority of human H5N1 cases have been linked to home slaughtering of diseased poultry before cooking. Since the virus is sensitive to heat, you cannot contract H5N1 from properly cooked eggs and chicken. Although it is difficult for the H5N1 virus to transmit from person to person, you can still contract the virus from being in contact with an infected H5N1 patient.
What is the difference between H5N1 and H1N1?
Human cases of H5N1 are rare, especially in Canada. However, once a patient is infected with the H5N1 virus, the mortality rate is 60%. It is important to note that the H1N1 flu virus is much more common in Canada. Also, H1N1 can be commonly transmitted from person to person. It is still important to get vaccinated in order to protect yourself from the most common types of flu virus in Canada.
Custom Care Pharmacy is still providing flu vaccination, no appointment necessary. If you haven't received vaccination this season, it is not too late to get vaccinated.
