What is the difference between a vaccine and an antiviral?
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Vaccines are usually given to prevent infections. Influenza vaccines are made from either pieces of the killed influenza virus or weakened versions of the live virus that will not lead to disease. When vaccinated, the body’s immune system makes antibodies which will fight off infection if exposure to the virus occurs.
Antivirals are drugs that can treat people who have already been infected by a virus. They also can be used to prevent infection when given before or shortly after exposure and before illness occurs. A key difference between a vaccine and antiviral drug is that the antiviral drug will prevent infection only when administered within a certain time frame before or after exposure and is effective during the time that the drug is being taken while a vaccine can be given long before exposure to the virus and can provide protection over a long period of time.
Why won't the annual flu vaccine protect people against pandemic influenza?Influenza vaccines provide the best protection against viruses closely related to the vaccine strains. Current annual influenza vaccines include influenza A subtype H3N2 and H1N1 viruses. A vaccine made from these viruses would not provide protection from other influenza A viruses (such as H5N1) that are not closely related to them.
source: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/faq/vaccines/1090.html
My comment: do not use anti viral against flu indiscriminately or without medical prescription (to avoid wrong dosing or wrong diagnosis) - this may allow the virus to develop resistant strains to the antiviral making future treatment options very hard indeed.
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