swine flu antibodies blood tests

[moosky]

Hi all

I know you can get swabbed privately to see if you have swine flu / influenza b but I'd like to know if anyone is aware of blood tests to see if someone has immunity.

DD has been really poorly for pretty much all of December, with a week's respite.

Not that I want to subject her to any more discomfort (ie. blood tests) but I'd like to know if /which type of virus she has had, so she can go back to school knowing she hopefully has some immunity.

I'm well aware that there are loads of bugs/illnesses flying around at the mo but it would give us some reassurance on some level!!

Thx!!

www.medicheck.com do them.

@moosky: sorry to hear your DD has been unwell. There has been a particularly unfortunate coalescence of viral infections over the last few weeks, with fluA, fluB, RSV, and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) all circulating together, and children can become sequentially infected as well as reinfected by RSV and HMPV.

However I would counsel against doing these sorts of investigations on your child. Antibody titres are no guide for immunity to respiratory viruses for an individual and may give false reassurances. The fact that she is not getting worse with any of these infections is reassurance in itself; and if she is able to be vaccinated against flu this year perhaps that should be the priority.

thanks whomovedmy and musukebba.
I didn't know that antibody tests were unreliable for respiratory viruses - I most definitely won't consider them, if that's the case!

Still feel wobbly about vaccinating though. I am a born worrier and just think about the long term impact of the swine flu element of the vaccine on the body...

I don't think you have much (other than a sore arm) to worry about with the flu jabs TBH. I had it. Didn't stop the flu for me but also didn't kill me and there has now been widespread use of this year's formulation without incident.