• Question: Hi Why where pregnant ladies and ashtmatics more vulnerable to swine flu than anyone else? Thanks Will

    Asked by 08wjeffrey to Ailsa, Evan, James, Kath, Ryan, James, Evan on 21 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by jamesw.
    • Photo: Ryan Ladd

      Ryan Ladd answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      Were they?

      If they were I guess it’s possible that the strain of flu that caused the illness may have evolved to target these people or perhaps their immune system was weaker because of their conditions. Though I thought women had a stronger immune system when pregnant…

      I’m not sure!

    • Photo: Ailsa Powell

      Ailsa Powell answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      Asthmatics are always more vulnerable if they catch ‘flu – they can get a lot sicker than non-asthmatics because their lungs can’t cope with clearing the infection so well (I’m asthmatic, so I know this from experience).

      In pregnant women their immune systems are actually a bit weaker than normal (sorry to contradict you Ryan) so they would be more likely to catch ‘flu anyway.

      The fact that the type of ‘flu going around this past winter was swine ‘flu is irrelevant – these two groups are always more vulnerable to any type of ‘flu.

    • Photo: Evan Keane

      Evan Keane answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      I think Ailsa’s answer says it all here.

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