Call to target swine flu jabs as immunity levels patchy

Published on Wednesday 23 June 2010 20:48

IMMUNITY to the swine flu virus may be higher in some parts of Scotland than others.

Researchers writing in the journal Eurosurveillance found that about half of people whose samples were tested in four cities – Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Inverness – carried antibodies to protect them against the pandemic flu strain. But the results varied, with between 30 and 35 per cent of cases testing positive in Glasgow.

Inverness also had lower levels of immunity compared with elsewhere, with older people more at risk and so more in need of vaccination.

The results might mean higher levels of flu this winter in areas with lower immunity. The H1N1 strain is expected to be the main form of the virus circulating this year. The study concluded: "Glasgow and Inverness have lower overall levels of seroprevalence (rates of antibodies] following the two waves of infection to date, and these cities might experience higher levels of influenza activity than Aberdeen or Edinburgh during the 2010-11 influenza season."

The researchers said that public health strategies should target at-risk groups, as a significant proportion of the population remained susceptible to swine flu.

Researcher Dr Bill Carmen, from the West of Scotland Specialist Virology Centre in Glasgow, said it found that there was a small increase in antibody levels after the first outbreak last summer.

"The figures have now gone up quite a lot over the winter," Dr Carmen said.

"Now, across Scotland as a whole, there is a similar prevalence of antibodies. The antibody levels in 20, 30 and 40-year-olds are much the same as they were in 50-year-olds before the outbreak."

He added: "What we have probably shown is that there won't be an enormous amount of swine flu this year, because the antibody prevalences now across the population as a whole are similar to what they were in the older group before the outbreak."