Flu vaccine
The flu vaccine is a vaccine to protect against the highly variable influenza virus.
The annually updated trivalent flu vaccine for the 2005-2006 season consists of hemagglutinin (HA) surface glycoprotein components from influenza H3N2, H1N1, and B influenza viruses.
Each year the influenza virus changes and different strains become dominant.
Due to the high mutability of the virus a particular vaccine formulation usually only works for about a year..
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Avian flu
Avian flu (also "bird flu", "avian influenza", "bird influenza"), means "flu from viruses adapted to birds", but is sometimes mistakenly used to refer to both other flu subsets (such as H5N1 flu) or the viruses that cause them (such as H5N1). "Bird flu" is a phrase similar to "Pig flu", "Dog flu", "Horse flu", or "Human flu" in that it refers to an illness caused by any of many different strains of flu viruses such that the strain in question has adapted to the host
"Avian flu" differs in being named after an entire vertebrate class with 8,800–10,200 species.
All known avian flu viruses belong to the species of virus called Influenza A virus.
All subtypes (but not all strains of all subtypes) of Influenza A virus are adapted to birds, which is why for many purposes avian flu virus is the Influenza A virus (note that the "A" does not stand for "avian")..
"Avian flu" differs in being named after an entire vertebrate class with 8,800–10,200 species.
All known avian flu viruses belong to the species of virus called Influenza A virus.
All subtypes (but not all strains of all subtypes) of Influenza A virus are adapted to birds, which is why for many purposes avian flu virus is the Influenza A virus (note that the "A" does not stand for "avian")
It is thought to have been one of the most deadly pandemics so far in human history.
It was caused by the H1N1 type of influenza virus, which is similar to bird flu of today, mainly H5N1 and H5N2..
