Q. I have heard that the shot isn't given to people over 50 because they are supposed to be immune. Is there a test to show if you're immune? Someone at my work who is 62 has already had the swine flu.
- Sharon, Clearwater
A. The swine flu appears to infect people 65 and older far less than any other age group, and scientists believe that has to do with a similar flu strain that circulated in the United States in the 1950s. Older people do get the swine flu, just not in the numbers younger people are getting it.
Still, health officials say everyone 6 months and older should get the H1N1 vaccine. That's because there is no test to see if you are immune. Better safe than sorry, they say.
Do you have a question or comment about swine flu that isn't being addressed?
Visit our Swine Flu home page to submit your question, and health writer Mary Shedden will get you the answer.
Helping us track it all down is the Hillsborough County Health Department, which, like us, draws much of its information from the very helpful Web sites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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