H1N1: Elderly more immune,says study

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention CDC study found that one-third of senior citizens had some immunity to swine flu. These findings,which came out in May,were backed by another study released on July 13,which is to be published in the same journal. The study said that those alive during the 1918 Spanish flu outbreak have the most protection against the H1N1 virus. The findings suggested an explanation for why swine flu appears to infect the young more often than the elderly,who are normally more susceptible to seasonal flu .

According to the WHO recommendation,All countries should immunize their health-care workers as a first priority to protect the essential health infrastructure. As vaccines available initially will not be sufficient,a step-wise approach to vaccinate particular groups may be considered.

It said the SAGE Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization suggested the following groups be considered for vaccination: pregnant women; those aged above six months with chronic medical conditions; healthy young adults; healthy children; healthy adults of 50 to 64 years of age; and healthy adults of 65 years of age and above.