Okay, I know we have at least one doctor that reads the stuff in this forum. So I'm going to post a question here because I'm too cheap to pay a professional for an answer.

I'm not likely to get a Swine Flu shot as they are in short supply. By the time they have enough the flu season will be past. And I work in a large building with a billion other lost souls in cubicles that are closely stacked. It's a hot house for growing pathogens as well as African Violets and other flora. I've already caught the regular flu there. Now my question is whether or not I've developed any 'natural' immunity to the swine flu from having the regular flu? Or are they so completely different?

I'm not a doctor, CMP, but I play one with my wife

I got a strand of flu earlier this year as well....ending in a result of my not being able to see my daughter for a month. I was put on Tamiflu...the medication that they've been giving to fight H1N1, and got better. So by assumption, I may have actually had Swine Flu. The fact of the matter is, even though you've had the flu, H1N1 is a completely different strand of influenza. But there is hope.

If you are under the age of 40, chances of your getting hit really hard by the swine flu are minimal. It seems to be attacking the younger generation...all deaths reported from the H1N1 were people under the age of 30, I believe.

In short...it probably wouldn't hurt to get the Swine Flue vaccine. It's out in bulk now, so you should be able to find it relatively easily....even at the doctors.