It is recommended that all travellers should have a flu vaccine prior to their trips, whether it is for work or pleasure.
Flu viruses change or evolve throughout the year, so the World Health Organization makes their recommendations on what viruses the research shows will be prevalent globally:
--A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus;
--A/Victoria/361/2011(H3N2)-like virus;
--B/Wisconsin/1/2010 like strain used virus, derived from BX -39 derived from B/Hubei- Wujiagang/158/2009 are contained in this year’s vaccine.
Worldwide, H1N1 remains most intense in parts of India, Thailand, United States and Bolivia particularly.
As the virus evolves, the flu vaccine is only current for one year, meaning all those who have been vaccinated against flu or swine flu in the last year should be vaccinated again for protection against this year’s flu strains.
It is anticipated that with the large influx of students from all over the world swine flu may become an issue for us all in East Anglia.
Vaccines are now available from The Travel Clinic in Cambridge and Ipswich at a cost of £20.
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