Do seasonal flu vaccines work against avian or pandemic flu?
Flu vaccines contain inactivated (dead) virus particles that cause the body to produce protective antibodies against a specific strain or strains. These natural antibodies make it impossible for the flu virus to enter your cells, and prevent the replication and spread to other cells and people. Because the normal seasonal flu virus mutates, we have to produce a different vaccination every year to protect those who are at risk from the strain of influenza that is currently circulating. The vaccines for seasonal influenza will not provide any protection against bird flu or a pandemic flu virus.
