Seattle among areas with reduction in cases of H1N1 swine flu

Face mask/Esparta

Some health officials now believe that areas where high numbers of people were exposed to the flu this past spring may have developed herd immunity that has prevented the virus from spreading in those areas.

While concern over the spread of the H1N1 virus sweeps the country, epidemiologists in New York and a few other cities that were awash in swine flu last spring are detecting very little evidence of a resurgence. (New York Times, Oct 8, 2009)

According to Donald R. Olson, the research director for the International Society for Disease Surveillance, Seattle is among the cities with lots of swine flu in the spring, but less now in the fall.

Flu expert, Dr. Martin S. Cetron, remarked on the idea of a bad outbreak in the spring resulting in less incidence of illness in the fall as “an interesting hypothesis, with biological plausibility.”

Ways to Boost Immunity
Beyond Vaccination: How to Boost a Child's Immune Function
Early Germ Exposure Boosts Immunity
Alternative Vaccination Schedule