Influenza virus infection can by asymptomatic or cause illness of varying severity, from a cold to a rapidly fatal pneumonia. Most influenza illnesses, though unpleasant, are self limiting and do not require medical attention. A H 5 N 1 infection have died, there is still insufficient information to be able to say how severe the illness might be in the population if the infection spread. The only cases identified so far have been in hospital, where patients with more severe illness would be likely to be identified. Not at present.
Work is currently underway, as a precautionary measure, to see how best to develop a vaccine.
Widescale production would not take place unless there was good evidence of extensive spread of the virus in the human population. Influenza A viruses similar to each of the vaccine strains have been isolated in the United Kingdom in November and December although current levels of influenza activity are at baseline levels. Thus the current vaccine remains the best protection against the most likely strains of influenza in this country this winter. A viruses are generally susceptible to amantadine. A H 5 N 1 have been susceptible to amantadine and future strains are also likely to be so.