No. The influenza vaccine is only for preventing respiratory influenza (flu).
The norovirus ("Norwalk Flu") is one of the viruses that cause the "stomach flu", more correctly called viral gastroenteritis, since it is actually not the flu. There is no available vaccine yet, but one is in clinical trials, so it could be licensed for use in the US in a relatively short time.
I bet it is to prevent the Flu.
The swine flu shot is used to prevent the flu, not to treat the flu if you already have it. To treat the flu, antiviral medications are more likely to be prescribed, such as Tamiflu.
Yes, it's a vaccination that helps you prevent the swine flu infection.
People receive flu shots to build immunity to several varieties of the flu virus.
A flu shot will prevent the type of influenza virus or viruses that have been used to make the vaccine. A,nd it may sometimes protect against a different, but very similar, strain.
To find a flu shot clinic, check the government website "flu". The site gives information about the flu, how to prevent or treat it if you catch it. There is also a locator on the site to give locations for places that provide vaccines that are near your area.
That will only be needed if a new mutation of the swine flu occurs that the current swine flu vaccine isn't able to prevent. In the 2009-2010 flu season in the US two shots were need, the regular seasonal flu shot and the H1N1/09 Swine flu shot. But in the current 2010-2011 flu season in the US, the seasonal flu vaccination contains the vaccine for swine flu in addition to the other varieties of flu that are expected to be circulating. So only one shot is needed this year for protection in the flu season.
the flu shot was as painful as a bee sting.
No. It is not a chemical at all. It is a virus that often causes what people call the "stomach flu".
The flu shot only prevents respiratory influenza. It does not prevent the gastrointestinal "flu" virus that makes you have GI symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea without the cough and respiratory symptoms of influenza. The flu that makes you throw up is not really influenza, it is just an illness that is also caused by a virus or "bug" (called viral gastroenteritis). True seasonal respiratory influenza, on the other hand, if bad enough (or if you are very young or over 65) is more likely to cause severe complications or even death. The stomach virus usually doesn't result in the same severity, as long as dehydration is controlled by drinking plenty of liquids (and perhaps an occasional sports drink to replenish electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and chloride). The shots you get for seasonal influenza, and the flu vaccine to prevent the A-H1N1/09 "Swine Flu", are made for protection against respiratory influenza, not for the "stomach flu". Fun facts: The intestinal flu is not really the flu. It has been incorrectly called that for a long time, but is actually called gastroenteritis and usually is caused by viral infections but might also be bacterial. Influenza (flu) is a respiratory disease that only rarely causes any gastrointestinal symptoms. A very common viral gastroenteritis is what most people call stomach flu, or they also call it Norwalk flu and is caused by a norovirus. WikiPedia says: "Norovirus (formerly Norwalk agent) is an RNA virus (taxonomic family Caliciviridae) that causes approximately 90% of epidemic nonbacterial outbreaks of gastroenteritis around the world, and may be responsible for 50% of all foodborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis in the US. Norovirus affects people of all ages. The viruses are transmitted by fecally contaminated food or water, by person-to-person contact,and via aerosolization of the virus and subsequent contamination of surfaces."
the shot is to prevent infection not to treat it When you're sick with a fever, you may not mount as good of an immune response to the vaccine.
So you don't get the flu.