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WHO not ready to declare H1N1 pandemic over; U.S. officials urge vaccination

Rob Stein — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:59:47 -0500

With swine flu cases continuing to mount in many countries, it remains far too early to declare the H1N1 pandemic over, a World Health Organization official said Thursday. "We are now eight months into the pandemic, and one of the common questions coming to us is: 'Is the pandemic over? Is it time to call it?' " said Keiji Fukuda, special adviser to the WHO director general on pandemic influenza. Read more...

Northwest Lab's Pandemic Modeling Tool Might Quicken Government Response

Anna King — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:57:43 -0500

RICHLAND, WA (N3) - This year's flu season didn't turn out to be the pandemic that many feared. A federal lab in Richland is developing a computer model to do a better job of predicting what the next pandemic will look like. KPLU's Anna King reports. Read more...

Anatomy of a flu pandemic so far

Brigitte Castelnau — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:51:34 -0500

The A(H1N1) virus was identified for the first time at the end of March in Mexico and quickly spread, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring a global pandemic on June 11.

The WHO estimated that by early December the global death toll had passed 9,500 but experts gave warning that it was too early to be accurate. Read more...

Anatomy of a pandemic

PBS — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:49:35 -0500

What is known about the current H1N1 influenza outbreak? How is the government preparing for the next big threat? Join the PBS NewsHours Ray Suarez for an exploration of the science and policy of this years swine flu pandemic, from federal vaccination headquarters to big city hospital emergency rooms. Read more...

USDA Issues Conditional License For Pandemic H1N1 Vaccine For Swine

Cattle Network — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:56:42 -0500

WASHINGTON - USDA today announced that it has issued a conditional license to Pfizer Animal Health, of Lincoln, Neb., for a pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine intended to vaccinate pigs against the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus. This is the first pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine license issued by USDA. Read more...

PNNL develops flu pandemic analyzer

Annette Cary — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:52:49 -0500

RICHLAND -- Community health and emergency leaders have a new tool available to fight flu pandemics, thanks to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland.

Researchers have developed a computer desktop system that takes what science knows about how the flu spreads to help health and emergency management officials quickly predict what might happen in their county. Read more...

Severe influenza pandemic may lead to shortage of available RBCs

HemOnc Today — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:51:27 -0500

Research conducted in Germany using a mathematical model and computer simulations has found that a severe influenza pandemic could lead to a severe reduction in available red blood cell transfusion units. Read more...

First Immunological Clue to Why Some H1N1 Patients Get Very Ill or Die

Science Daily — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:49:35 -0500

ScienceDaily (Dec. 16, 2009) An international team of Canadian and Spanish scientists have found the first potential immunological clue of why some people develop severe pneumonia when infected by the pandemic H1N1 virus. Read more...

CDC to Blacks, Latinos: Get Vaccinated

BET — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:42:53 -0500

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is issuing a warning for Blacks and Hispanics, who tend to distrust vaccinations against the H1N1 virus and seasonal flu: You are getting sicker and dying more frequently from the illnesses than your White counterparts. Read more...

H1N1 reveals weaknesses, report concludes

Rob Stein — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:41:12 -0500

The swine flu pandemic may turn out to be less severe than many had feared, but the H1N1 virus has revealed disturbing weaknesses in the nation's defenses against public health emergencies, according to a new report. Read more...

The H1N1 pandemic in review

Paul A. Biedrzycki — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:39:00 -0500

As the end of 2009 approaches and media hoopla and public interest in H1N1 flu is appearing to wane, it might be useful to examine some lessons learned from the response to the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century. While many critics would argue that the entire pandemic scenario was overblown and mega-hyped, it may be instructive to review some key points for future planning and response. Read more...

Is swine flu's death toll rising?

Brandon Campbell — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:13:59 -0500

The number one scare this year has undoubtedly been H1N1, swine flu. Flu pandemics are definitely not a new threat, and swine flu is certainly not a new kid on the block, having caused its fair share of trouble in the past. As more and more of us begin bundling up and staying inside to read a good book while winter creeps up to our front doors, cold weather inevitably brings with it an increase in disease communicability. Read more...

GSK, Intercell form strategic pact to develop & commercialise needle-free patch-based vaccines

Pharmabiz — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:11:47 -0500

GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals SA (GSK) and Intercell announced an agreement to form a strategic alliance to accelerate the development and commercialisation of needle-free, patch-based vaccines. The agreement will include Intercells candidate vaccine for travellers diarrhoea (TD) and an investigational single application pandemic influenza vaccine, as well as the use of the patch technology for other vaccines in GSKs portfolio. Read more...

In China, People Renounce Party Because of Swine Flu

Shi Yu — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:03:35 -0500

Chinese people, individually and in groups, are renouncing the ruling Communist Party over the Internet and attributing the cause to the spread of the H1N1 virus in China and criticizing the authorities alleged attempts to play down the pandemics impact. Read more...

Swine Flu- A Panic Or Pandemic?

snigdha — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:34:29 -0500

In the past few months, we have been inundated with news about an influenza virus that originated in a faecal swamp of an industrial pigsty in Mexico, which today has transformed into a threat that looms large on the lives of millions of people across the globe. A glance at the volumes of affected people since it was first reported in April 2009 reveals an infection that is travelling at lightening speed; a speed faster than any other reported pandemic of the past. Read more...

Brits say swine flu is mild, corroborating other reports

Thomas H. Maugh II — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:18:08 -0500

British health officials have confirmed earlier reports that the pandemic H1N1 influenza is milder than experts had originally feared. In a report published online in the BMJ, formerly the British Medical Journal, England's chief medical officer and his colleagues reported that about 26 Brits died for every 100,000 infected people. That is about 1% of the proportion that were killed in the catastrophic 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and about 10% of the proportion killed in the 1957 and 1968 pandemics. Read more...

The H1N1 Pandemic: Is a Second Wave Possible?

Alice Park — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:10:29 -0500

Since early November, cases of H1N1 have continued to decline nationwide, and scientists keeping track of the numbers say that as pandemics go, 2009 H1N1 may turn out to be a mild one at least for the time being. Read more...

Pandemic influenza A (H1N1) numbers double from previous CDC estimates

Nicole Blazek — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:08:17 -0500

About 50 million people have become ill with influenza A (H1N1) since the pandemics onset seven months ago, CDC director Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH, said during the agencys weekly influenza update, a substantial rise from the 22 million reported last month. Read more...

Intercell, GSK In Patch Vaccines Deal

REUTERS — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:06:25 -0500

LONDON (Reuters) - GlaxoSmithKline Plc will take a stake in vaccine maker Intercell AG to develop needle-free patch vaccines in a deal that will give Intercell an R&D cash injection and access to a bigger sales force. Read more...

Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 virus infects 7 in Vietnam

Prasun Sonwalkar — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:04:49 -0500

London, Dec 11 (PTI) Seven people infected with a Tamiflu-resistant strain of pandemic H1N1 influenza have been identified by researchers in Vietnam and reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. Read more...

Year in Review: H1N1 Pandemic Set to Hit Campuses

Jim McKay — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:03:11 -0500

We began planning, early this year, a feature story on what would happen if a pandemic were to hit a college campus. By early spring, it looked like a possibility. By September, it looked inevitable. Read more...

Four in five swine flu 'patients' did not have disease

Rebecca Smith — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:05:29 -0500

Around one million doses of Tamiflu have so far been given out, but according to the figures, hundreds of thousands of packets could have been wasted as most people with symptoms of flu did not have the H1N1 pandemic virus. Read more...

Vical Advocates DNA Vaccine Approach With Pandemic Influenza Experts

CNN Money — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:02:09 -0500

BRUSSELS, Belgium, Dec. 9, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vical Incorporated (Nasdaq:VICL) announced today that the company is addressing an international gathering of pandemic influenza vaccine experts and potential commercial partners to encourage broader use of the company's DNA vaccine technology and Vaxfectin(R) adjuvant. Larry R. Smith, Ph.D., Vical's Vice President of Vaccine Research, presented today at the World Influenza Congress Europe (Brussels -- December 7-9), an innovative forum for the discussion of influenza policy and planning, vaccine research and development, and commercialization opportunities. Read more...

Roche’s Tamiflu Not Proven to Cut Flu Complications, Study Says

Michelle Fay Cortez — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:53:19 -0500

Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Roche Holding AGs antiviral drug Tamiflu may not prevent complications from influenza in healthy adults, according to a review by an independent research group that reversed its previous findings that the medicine warded off pneumonia and other deadly conditions linked to the disease. Read more...

Suing for Swine Flu: Are Physicians at Risk for H1N1 Lawsuits?

Charles E. Kutner — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:51:36 -0500

Since the declaration of an H1N1 influenza pandemic in June 2009, virtually all countries are now reporting cases. Speaking at a press conference in Geneva Switzerland in November, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, Special Adviser to the Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Pandemic Influenza, told reporters the pandemic virus has become the dominant influenza virus in all countries. Dr. Fukuda went on to say that WHO anticipates continued or increased activity during the winter period in the northern hemisphere, and continued reports of serious cases and deaths. Read more...

Bird, Swine Flu Just a Warm-Up; Deadlier Pandemic May Be Next

Jeffrey Tannenbaum — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:19:03 -0500

Dec. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Alan Sipress needed more than a pen and paper to report on bird flu. To interview the mother of two victims in Java, he showed up wearing a white hooded jumpsuit with goggles, a respirator and rubber gloves that made it hard to take notes. Read more...

Flu pandemic could be mild

Rob Stein — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:17:25 -0500

With the second wave of H1N1 infections having crested in the United States, leading epidemiologists are predicting that the pandemic could end up ranking as the mildest since modern medicine began documenting influenza outbreaks. Read more...

Flu Pandemic Much Milder Than Expected

Richard Knox — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:14:57 -0500

As federal health agencies launch a big campaign to convince more Americans to get flu shots, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and outside analysts indicate this pandemic is much milder than officials expected or have let on so far. Read more...

Pandemic's workshop: Making policy, making money, making vaccine

William Ehart — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:49:46 -0500

The cost of the nation's strategy to protect its citizens from a global flu pandemic has been substantial. And, its critics claim, hundreds of millions have been misspent in the effort largely in support of highly profitable multinational drug companies. Read more...

Should Churches Worry About a Pandemic

Christian News Wire — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:47:46 -0500

CAROL STREAM, Ill., Dec. 7 /Christian Newswire/ -- Should churches abandon the common cup during communion? Is it unsafe to extend the peace of Christ with a handshake during worship? Are we spreading too many germs when we hold hands during prayer? In light of the continuing news about the H1N1 influenza outbreak, churches across the nation are wrestling with questions like these and trying to make wise and sensible decisions to keep their congregations safe and healthy. Read more...

The World Health Organization H1N1 status report: 67% of reported fatalities from the Americas

Douglas Roill — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:43:48 -0500

On December 4, 2009, The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that it has received reports confirming cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 from 207 countries and overseas territories or communities. The death toll has reached 8768, with 5878 attributed to the Americas. The number of individual cases being reported is questionable, because many countries have simply stopped counting, especially the "milder cases". Read more...

London Hosting Global Health Security Initiative, H1N1 Top Priority

UK Department of Health — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:41:56 -0500

Health Ministers from around the world met today to discuss the ongoing threat to public health from the current H1N1 pandemic. Read more...

ASH: Sickle Cell Kids at Special Risk for Severe H1N1 Flu

John Gever — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:37:01 -0500

NEW ORLEANS -- Pandemic H1N1 influenza appears to be especially severe in children and young adults with sickle cell disease, a researcher reported here. Read more...

Local authorities 'could be underreporting'

Shan Juan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:35:03 -0500

Nearly 80 percent of respondents in a recent online poll think that local authorities throughout the nation are underreporting the H1N1 pandemic. Read more...

El Nino and Swine Flu - is there a connection?

Zack Stein — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:33:08 -0500

This country's most deadly flu pandemic happened in an El Nino year. And now a scientist has begun research to find the connection between the weather phenomenon and the virus. Read more...

China expert warns of pandemic flu mutation

Tan Ee Lyn — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:31:20 -0500

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China must be alert to any mutation or changes in the behavior of the H1N1 swine flu virus because the far deadlier H5N1 bird flu virus is endemic in the country, a leading Chinese disease expert said. Read more...

Another H1N1 Flu Virus Wave is Coming?

DeShaunta Bullock — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:18:36 -0500

Fresno, CA (KFSN) -- There is some good news to report with the H1N1 flu virus. Health experts say the number of cases is on the decline. However, another peak may be just around the corner after families gather for the holidays.

Health experts say pandemics come in waves and while the numbers of H1N1 cases are down slightly ... flu activity is much higher than they expect this time of year. Read more...

H1N1 pandemic continues

rnw — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:05:18 -0500

The Japanese government says that the number of deaths from new influenza A (H1N1) has hit 100. The latest fatality was a 74-year-old man from Kyoto. Health authorities say the man had an underlying illness.
The Chinese government says its A (H1N1) death toll has now risen to 200; the vast majority of fatalities, 194 of them, were reported in November. According to the health ministry, the cold weather is behind the rapid rise in the number of deaths. Read more...

Influenza activity leveling off; flu clinic for priority group set

Rachel Kirkpatrick — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:02:55 -0500

We are in the sixth week of the second pandemic wave and, based on the number of hospitalizations reported, it looks as though the influenza activity has started to level off. Pandemic waves usually last six to 12 weeks. Its possible that other waves caused by H1N1 or regular seasonal flu could occur. Read more...

To counter flu, CA schools to receive 23 million masks and gloves

Michael Krebs — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:01:36 -0500

As hopeful reports surface that the H1N1 swine flu virus is showing signs of peaking in North America, California is distributing 23 million masks and gloves to combat the spread of the agile virus. Read more...

A jab in the dark

Margaret McCartney — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:59:52 -0500

The swine flu vaccine has landed, but the case numbers are up again. In the US, Barack Obama has declared a national emergency, and the vaccination queues are stretching round the block. Swine flu is a serious problem worldwide, but it is only a recent semantic twist that sees us name it as a pandemic. Read more...

Another H1N1 Flu Virus Wave is Coming?

DeShaunta Bullock — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:52:07 -0500

Health experts say pandemics come in waves and while the numbers of H1N1 cases are down slightly ... flu activity is much higher than they expect this time of year. Read more...

Too early to declare end of H1N1 pandemic, WHO says

The Medical News — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:30:36 -0500

Though there are signs the H1N1 (swine flu) has peaked in the U.S. and Canada, a WHO flu expert said Thursday it is too early to declare the pandemic over, Canadian Press reports. "'In the Northern Hemisphere, we continue to see an up and down pattern by countries. Read more...

A/H1N1 influenza death toll rises to 8,768, says WHO

Editor: Yan — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:28:56 -0500

GENEVA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- At least 8,768 people worldwide have been killed by A/H1N1 influenza, an increase of 942 in the past week, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a latest update on Friday.

Of all the deaths, 5,878 occurred in the Americas, and at least 918 occurred in Europe. The other four WHO regions, South-East Asia, West Pacific, East Mediterranean and Africa reported 766, 706, 392 and 108 deaths respectively. Read more...

Better vaccines for the next pandemic

Henry I. Miller — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:27:20 -0500

The H1N1 swine flu has sickened at least 22 million and killed almost 4,000 in the United States since April, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more...

CDC: Swine flu continues to decline in U.S.

Thomas H. Maugh II — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:25:56 -0500

Pandemic H1N1 influenza continues to decline in the United States, with 25 states reporting widespread activity during Thanksgiving week, compared to 32 states the week before, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today. But even that is more than is normal at this time of year, said CDC director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, and it continues to affect young people disproportionately compared to seasonal flu. Read more...

New Method Could Speed H1N1 Vaccine

RANDY DOCKENDORF — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:44:48 -0500

VERMILLION A new production method could cut the time it takes to get more H1N1 flu vaccine on the market, a University of South Dakota assistant professor told medical students Thursday.

The new cell-based vaccine could reach the public faster than the current egg-based method, said Victor Huber of the Sanford School of Medicine. Read more...

Swine-flu pandemic may have peaked

Thomas H. Maugh II — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:36:44 -0500

The present wave of pandemic H1N1 flu appears to have peaked, with four weeks of declines in several key indicators, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday. Read more...

FRENCH ARMY TO BE USED IN SWINE FLU VACCINE CENTRES

The flu case — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:34:58 -0500

The French armys medical corps is to help carry out vaccinations in the countrys 1080 vaccine centers, according to an announcement by the French Ministry of Interior today, Saturday.

The army is being called in along with doctors and other health care personnel to operate the controversial centers and administer the untested swine flu jab in spite of -- or because of?-- evidence of a low voluntary up take of the jab among the population. Read more...

Swine flu science update: 18 August 2009

Carol Campbell — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:32:58 -0500

A poll of influenza researchers, epidemiologists and public health officials in several countries conducted by New Scientist last week (12 August) has revealed that most do not think a more dangerous strain of swine flu influenza A(H1N1) is likely to emerge. Read more...

WHO Defends Flu Response Amid Exaggeration Claims

Jason Gale — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:22:20 -0500

Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- The World Health Organization, facing criticism that it exaggerated the threat of swine flu, said its too soon to decide whether the pandemic is more or less deadly than seasonal flu and comparing death rates may be misleading. Read more...

HHS vows to upgrade U.S. vaccine technology

John Carroll — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:40:28 -0500

The swine flu pandemic is likely to have a long-term impact on the U.S. government's strategy for dealing with outbreaks. HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is vowing to make sure that the next pandemic will be fought with vaccines that can be produced in vast quantities far faster than we've seen this year. And more of it will be produced in the U.S. Read more...

Transplant infectious disease experts provide pandemic guidance

Annette Whibley — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:38:58 -0500

Swine flu has major implications for solid organ transplants

Surgeons and other healthcare professionals specialising in solid organ transplants have been issued with expert advice to guide them through the complex clinical issues posed by the global H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic.

The paper, published online by the American Journal of Transplantation, also urges them to stay alert to the significant concerns that swine flu could combine with seasonal flu, and possibly even bird flu (H5N1), to develop into a strain with unpredictable virulence. Read more...

UK: H1N1 flu virus found in pigs in Norfolk

Pigprogress — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:37:22 -0500

Pigs on a farm in Norfolk have been confirmed as having a strain of influenza following earlier cases in Northern Ireland.

Routine scanning surveillance has confirmed that the strain of the virus found is virtually identical to strains currently circulating in humans. It is not uncommon for pigs to be affected by influenza. Read more...

Harvard picks top 10 health stories of 2009

Chip Means — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:35:41 -0500

BOSTON Swine flu, health reform and restrictions on industry gifts to doctors are among the top 10 health stories identified by the Harvard Health Letter in its annual list.

The Harvard University publication develops a top 10 list each year with help from doctors on its editorial board. Read more...

Post-exposure prophylaxis during pandemic outbreaks

Seyed MoghadasChristopher BowmanGergely RostDavid FismanJianhong Wu — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:50:44 -0500

With the rise of the second pandemic wave of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus in the current season in the Northern Hemisphere, pandemic plans are being carefully re-evaluated, particularly for the strategic use of antiviral drugs. The recent emergence of oseltamivir-resistant in treated H1N1 patients has raised concerns about the prudent use of neuraminidase inhibitors for both treatment of ill individuals and post-exposure prophylaxis of close contacts. Read more...

Swine flu cases appear to be on decline

Henry L. Davis — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:47:09 -0500

There are signs that the worst may be over in the second wave of the swine flu pandemic.

Cases appear to have peaked nationally in mid-October and continue to decline, a trend mirrored in Buffalo and its suburbs. Read more...

Flu drug price gouging claims probed

Cara Baruzzi — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:45:09 -0500

In the wake of allegations of price gouging, state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is seeking information from three large pharmacy chains to examine what they charge for Tamiflu, a drug prescribed to treat seasonal flu and the H1N1 virus. Read more...

GSK’s H1N1 vaccine approved by WHO, will go to developing countries

Leo John — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:49:54 -0500

GlaxoSmithKline said Tuesday that its H1N1 pandemic vaccine manufactured in Canada has been approved by the World Health Organization for distribution in developing countries.

Prequalification from WHO ensures that a vaccine has met standards of quality and safety. This is the first prequalification for London-based GSK, which has its U.S. headquarters in Research Triangle Park where it employs more than 4,000 people. Read more...

Gates Funds Pandemic Virus Prevention

Katherine Gustafson — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:48:29 -0500

This H1N1 business has people running scared. And now a prominent foundation is doing something about it.

The Gates Foundation, ever-interested in public health concerns, has given a five-year grant of $9.5 million to University of Wisconsin, Madison, to help researchers there discover virus mutations that might offer early warning signs of possible pandemic influenza viruses, according to a university press release. Read more...

Piper Jaffray Initiates Coverage on Novavax (NVAX) with an Overweight; Novel Vaccine Play

StreetInsider — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:46:54 -0500

Piper analyst says, "Novavax is developing a trivalent season flu vaccine that was well-tolerated and immunogenic in Phase II studies of young healthy volunteers. The company is now conducting a Phase II study in the elderly with data due in 1Q:10. Novavax has applied for a BARDA contract that is not in our numbers and could fully fund Phase III trials next year. Seasonal flu vaccines represent a $6 billion and growing annual market... Read more...

Second wave of swine flu may have peaked

Rob Stein — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:44:24 -0500

The level of flu activity across the nation has dropped for the fourth week in a row, federal health officials reported Monday, indicating that the second wave of the swine flu pandemic in the United States has peaked. Read more...

Fall Wave of Swine Flu Has Peaked, Data Confirm

DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:42:19 -0500

New swine flu infections continue to drop across the United States, confirmation that the pandemics fall wave has peaked, according to figures posted online Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read more...

Vaccine is worth the fuss, say experts

Don Sapatkin — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:22:06 -0500

With swine flu ebbing and immunizations still maddeningly hard to find, one might be tempted to ask: Why bother to even look for vaccine?

Experts say the answer, at least in part, is that the disease almost certainly will come back this winter - as seasonal flu.

So why are public health officials also still emphasizing immunization with the existing seasonal flu vaccine, also in short supply? Read more...

Swine flu pandemic complicated by Tamiflu resistance - Now six cases of drug-resistant H1N1 in Wales

examiner — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:15:45 -0500

The swine flu pandemic has caused global panic, mass vaccination programs, and stockpiling of Tamiflu, an antiviral medication used to treat the symptoms of the influenza virus. Over 70 cases of Tamiflu-resistant swine flu have now been identified, including two clusters of multiple patients. Read more...

H1N1 vaccine: It's hard to prioritize in person

Marc Siegel — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:13:21 -0500

With the unanticipated shortage of the new H1N1 swine flu vaccine, my life as a practicing internist suddenly changed. My office phone began ringing off the hook with worried calls. Fear of the new, unknown vaccine was suddenly replaced by fear of not having it.

This panic was overblown, as the H1N1 flu has been mild in the vast majority of cases. Read more...

H1N1 developments: mutation & reinfection

examiner — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:11:31 -0500

Colorado Springs In August and September 2009 many experts were already claiming that the so-called "novel" h1n1 Swine Flu pandemic was much ado about nothing. In the following months more experts were claiming that the Swine Flu fears were never realized, and that this "pandemic" was nothing more than hype, propaganda, and political fear-mongering. Read more...

Statistics show H1N1 Swine Flu symptoms peaked in many areas, but still strong

examiner — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:54:09 -0500

The World Health Organization (WHO) released updated statistics on reported cases of pandemic 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) globally on November 27th, current through November 22nd. Although these statistics do show that the spread of the virus and the numbers of cases of H1N1 symptoms may have peaked in many areas, the virus is by no means gone, and remains strong worldwide. Read more...

Swine flu vaccine is vital

Robert Read — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 08:52:14 -0500

Many people are facing the question of whether to vaccinate themselves and their children against pandemic influenza H1N1 (so-called swine flu) a vaccine that will provide safe and effective protection against a debilitating and potentially fatal illness. But the question comes at a time when some experts are concerned that a vociferous anti-vaccine lobby will undermine the mass vaccination campaigns being rolled out across Europe, putting the public and individuals' health at risk. Read more...

DEL STONE: The doctor's prescription for swine flu: Get a grip

Del Stone jr. — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:56:55 -0500

All of humanity is under threat. Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, April 29, 2009.

A barrage of media coverage photographs of people wearing face masks and stories about terrified officials closing schools.

How to avoid it? How many will it kill? Read more...

FDA OKs Novartis Vaccine Against Seasonal Flu In Fast Review

The wall street journal — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:55:12 -0500

The Food and Drug Administration approved a new Novartis AG (NVS, NOVN.VX) flu vaccine, Agriflu, in an accelerated process Friday.

The vaccine to prevent disease caused by influenza virus subtypes A and B is for people age 18 and older. It does not prevent the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu. Read more...

Were Swine Flu Death Projections Hyped?

Adam Murdock, MD — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:09:55 -0500

The 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic may turn out to be one of the most overblown and expensive medical crises in modern history. Indeed, this particular swine flu may be one of the weakest in history. The most recent figures show that the number of flu cases are already dropping in the U.S., England, and elsewhere. Read more...

Closing schools can curb swine flu-spread: Study

ANI — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:08:17 -0500

Washington: Closing schools in the event of an infectious disease pandemic could have a significant role in reducing illness transmission, according to a new study.

Niel Hens, from Hasselt and Antwerp University, Belgium, conducted a study with the assistance of a team of European researchers to reach the conclusion that the spread of diseases on weekends/holidays were significantly lesser than on school days. Read more...

EMEA reaffirms safety of pandemic vaccines

Stephanie Sutton — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:06:04 -0500

After further reviewing data on the H1N1 pandemic vaccines approved in Europe, the EMEA has reaffirmed their balance of benefits and risks in the context of the current H1N1 influenza pandemic. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an update on the H1N1 situation in Europe. Read more...

WHO Studying Swine Flu Mutations

VOA News — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:05:19 -0500

The World Health Organization says it is investigating possible mutations in the H1N1 swine flu virus following reports of mutations from at least six countries.

WHO pandemic influenza adviser Keiji Fukuda says the question is whether the reported mutations suggest a "fundamental change" in the virus. He says right now, health officials are not sure. Read more...

How governments scored on swine flu

Sreeram Chaulia — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:02:08 -0500

Since the global outbreak of the swine flu pandemic was detected in March 2009, it has claimed over 7,860 lives in 206 countries and territories. Compared to the localised SARS epidemic of 2002-03 (774 deaths in 24 countries) and the avian flu influenza of 2004-07 (262 deaths in 12 countries), swine flu has stoked collective fears of entire humanity. Read more...

Death of Kansan Infected with the 2009 H1N1 Influenza A Virus Announced

Staff infoZine — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:47:00 -0500

Topeka, KS - infoZine - Twenty one people in Kansas have now reportedly died after being infected with H1N1.

The deaths occurred in the following individuals:

A 44 year-old man from the Kansas City metropolitan area^ was confirmed to have pandemic H1N1 on November 10. His death was reported to KDHE on November 20. The man had underlying health conditions that placed him at greater risk for severe complications of influenza.

Swine flu pandemic still on the increase

Urs Geiser — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:45:28 -0500

Children and youths have been particularly hard hit, according to the health authorities.

"It is in line with the situation in neighbouring countries," said Daniel Koch of the Federal Health Office. He added the peak has not been reached yet.

More than 2,400 confirmed new A/H1N1 influenza cases have been recorded by medical laboratories over the past week.

The number of people admitted to hospital with swine flu has reached 123, up 24 since Monday.

Koch said a total of 28 patients were in intensive care, mainly people with a previous medical condition. Read more...

Baxter evaluating flu vaccine plant in U.S.

Bruce Japsen — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:41:27 -0500

Deerfield-based Baxter International Inc. says it is looking into building a cell-based vaccine manufacturing plant in the U.S. to produce seasonal and pandemic flu vaccines.

The company won't say when a plant could be built because the timing would depend on the outcome of a government-funded clinical trial of its seasonal product, which is in its final stages. A timetable will be clearer when the company can determine the success of its seasonal and pandemic flu development program. Read more...

H1N1 D225G mutation a reason of concern

examiner — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:34:44 -0500

This is part 2 of a multi part series on the mutation of the H1N1 influenza virus. Part one discussed the similarities of the D225G mutation of 2009 Pandemic to the D225G mutation found in the 1918 Pandemic. SEE PART 1 Also we discuss the similarities of severe symptoms and hemorrhagic pneumonia between the two pandemics. At this time all we have are similarities and more data is needed to see if the D225G mutation will lead to the catastrophic events of the 1918 Spanish Flu. Read more...

Australia's Winter with the 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus

James F. Bishop, M.D., Mary P. Murnane, B.A., and Rhonda Owen, B.Sc. — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:32:54 -0500

When the World Health Organization declared a "public healthemergency of international concern" on April 25, 2009, afterthe emergence in Mexico of pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus,Australia activated its well-rehearsed plan for response topandemic influenza.¹ The Australian Health Management Plan forPandemic Influenza is a strategic outline, based on evidenceand international best practices, of actions and interventionsthat the health care community should consider taking duringa pandemic. It describes the planning assumptions, the phasesof a response, and the key actions that minimize a pandemic'seffects on the population and the health care community. Overthe subsequent 6 weeks, the implementation of border-controlmeasures including requirements that travelers enteringAustralia declare whether they have symptoms of influenza orhave been in contact with someone with severe respiratory illnessand that contacts of persons with known influenza be traced gave the health care community time to learn more aboutthe natural history of the new influenza strain. Read more...

China expert warns of pandemic flu mutation

Stefanie McIntyre — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:31:03 -0500

18 countries report high pandemic (H1N1) 2009 activity

penki — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:29:26 -0500

WHO/Europe outbreak update, 24 November 2009
During the period 13 to 20 November 2009, very high pandemic activity was reported in Italy for the first time this season.

Norway, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation (Urals region) and Sweden also reported very high activity. Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine reported high pandemic activity during this period. Read more...

Swine flu pandemic peaks in Ukraine

Peter Goodspeed — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:27:30 -0500

After three weeks of panic, pandemonium and politics, the initial swine flu pandemic in Ukraine has peaked.

Today the government is expected to end a nationwide ban on public gatherings, lift travel restrictions and order the reopening of parliament, schools and universities in all but 11 regions. Read more...

1918-19 El Niño suggests link to flu pandemic of 1918

examiner — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:24:50 -0500

A study The 1918/1919 El Niño, conducted at Texas A&M University, led by Benjamin Giese, Ph.D. shows the 1918-19 El Niño event to be one of the strongest of the 20th century. Read more...

Opening ceremony for Novartis facility Nov. 24

Garner News — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:55:36 -0500

The opening ceremony for the first large-scale US Flu Cell Culture and adjuvant manufacturing facility, developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will be held Tues. Nov. 24 at Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Flu Cell Culture Manufacturing Facility in Holly Springs, NC. The facility is planned to begin commercial production of seasonal flu and pre-pandemic vaccines after licensure in 2011. Honored guests from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), CDC, Executive Branch of North Carolina and others, along with high-level Novartis executives including CEO and Chairman of Novartis, Daniel Vasella , CEO of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Andrin Oswald, Global Head of Technical Operations for Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Matthew Stober, and other high-level US and state government officials (TBC) will be in attendance. Read more...

Mutation of pandemic influenza A/H1N1 in Norway

CCTV — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:53:44 -0500

Norwegian health authorities say they have discovered a potentially significant mutation of the A/H1N1 strain of influenza. They say it could be responsible for causing the severest symptoms among those infected. But the World Health Organization says the mutation does not appear to be widespread in the country. Read more...

H1N1 Swine Flu symptoms still widespread globally; statistics update by WHO

examiner — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:50:22 -0500

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued an update on the current statistics of H1N1 swine flu symptoms around the world on November 20th, covering up until the 15th of November. Read more...

PANDEMIC / Spanish flu hits Utahns

Becky Cairns — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:48:33 -0500

Cover your sneezes. Stay home if you are sick. Wash those hands.

Sound familiar? Those warnings about how to prevent spreading the flu come from 1918 -- not 2009.

That year saw the Top of Utah reeling from the Spanish influenza, which was killing people by the millions the world over and which officially hit the Beehive State in October. Read more...

H1N1 (Swine Flu): Previous Infections May Help Fight H1N1 Virus & Vaccine Safety

emssolutionsinc — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:44:48 -0500

A new study shows that molecular similarities exist between the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus and other strains of seasonal H1N1 virus that have been circulating in the population since 1988. These results suggest that healthy adults may have a level of protective immune memory that can blunt the severity of infection caused by the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. Read more...

Potential Peak In US Swine Flu Cases

redOrbit — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:17:43 -0500

Officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that the swine flu pandemic might be reaching its peak in the U.S., although the outbreak could hit several such peaks within a single season. Read more...

In Ukraine, H1N1 pandemic sets off panic and politicking

Philip P. Pan — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:14:35 -0500

KIEV, UKRAINE -- One night at the height of the panic over what people here call the California flu, as 24-hour news stations tracked a rising death toll and politicians speculated about a mystery lung plague, Ukraine's prime minister rushed to the airport to greet a shipment of Tamiflu as if it were a foreign dignitary. Not to be outdone, the president, a bitter political foe, dispatched a top aide to meet the plane, too. Read more...

Flu Pandemic Slacks Off, But 'It's Not Over'

M. Morris — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:08:05 -0500

The swine flu outbreak is slacking off in some areas, but don't get complacent, officials say: Pandemics naturally fluctuate. "There can be multiple ups and downs over the season," says a CDC doctor. "We have many weeks ahead of us where disease is going to be circulating." Infections in people under 65 have dropped in the past month, but the holiday season is a recipe for transmission. Read more...

Why bird flu has not become a pandemic

DNA — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:38:53 -0500

Washington: A new study by American and British scientists has tried to explain why bird flu has not become a pandemic disease.

The report prepared by scientists from Imperial College London, the University of Reading and the University of North Carolina, USA, says that bird flu viruses would have to undergo at least two simultaneous genetic mutations before they could be infected from human to the other. Read more...

To fight swine flu, health director warns vigilance

Chris Davis — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:35:10 -0500

During the coming holidays, two things can happen, says health director Caroline C. Baisley: People keep their eye on the ball when it comes to preventive measures to keep H1N1 from spreading; or they get wrapped up in the holidays and turkeys and presents and let down their guard, and the flu escalates. Read more...

Songtree 'Paul Revere Email Campaign' 10 questions to ask corporate media about swine flu and WHO

examiner — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:33:44 -0500

The Paul Revere Email Campaign by Ray Songtree of Kauai Truth and the author provides Ten Questions to ask corporate media about Swine Flu and WHO. It was inspired by "Ask 'Why?' before taking the H1N1 vaccine" compiled by participants at an October 2009 presentation in Los Angeles, "OPERATION H1N1: Vaccine Liberty or Death." Read more...

Why H5N1 didn't cause a pandemic

crofsblogs — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:27:50 -0500

Bird flu has so far failed to cause a pandemic because at least two simultaneous genetic mutations in the virus are required before it can be transmitted readily from human to human, latest research suggests. Read more...

Doctors say most Britons reject swine flu vaccine

Kate Kelland — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:03:40 -0500

LONDON (Reuters) - More than half of Britons being offered vaccination against pandemic H1N1 flu are turning it down because they fear side-effects or think the virus is too mild to bother, a survey of doctors showed on Wednesday. Read more...

CDC airs flu guidelines for labor and delivery settings

Lisa Schnirring — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:02:19 -0500

Nov 17, 2009 (CIDRAP News) After input from professional groups, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently updated its guidance for managing pandemic flu in labor and delivery settings, relaxing some restrictions on keeping sick moms from their babies. Read more...

Still not ready for H1N1 pandemic

JournalStar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:59 -0500

The local health department will start giving out the H1N1 vaccine Thursday.

Too bad the H1N1 flu peaked locally at the end of last month.

The late vaccine delivery was symptomatic. The national and global response to the H1N1 pandemic has been plagued by shortages and slow production of vaccine, as well as other problems. Read more...

What makes pandemic H1N1 tick?

The Westside Story — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:59:13 -0500

As the number of deaths correlation to the pandemic H1N1 virus, usually known as "swine flu," continues to rise, scientists have been scrambling to decipher its inner workings and explain why the incidence is lower than expected in elderly adults. Read more...

Local Woman Fights Flu Pandemics 41 Years Apart

10 News — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:57:29 -0500

OCEANSIDE, Calif. -- An Oceanside woman has been through two bouts with a dangerous flu decades apart, 10News reported.

Gwen Lee considers herself a healthy person. She said she rarely gets sick, but whenever she does it seems like she's caught in a pandemic. Read more...

'H1N1 Flu: Getting the Vaccine to Where it is Most Needed'

eNews Park Forest — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:48:37 -0500

Washington, D.C.--(ENEWSPF)--November 17, 2009. Below is the testimony of Alex Garza, MD, MPH, Office of Health Affairs, given before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on "H1N1 Flu: Getting the Vaccine to Where it is Most Needed." Read more...

Swine flu ebbing, but unpredictable, so keep your guard up

Elizabeth Simpson — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:41:05 -0500

The number of flu cases is on the decline after peaking in late October, but health experts are warning people not to let down their guard on the pandemic H1N1 virus. Read more...

Children's Med Center is local ground zero for swine flu care

Donna St. George — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:39:46 -0500

Her work day started before 7 a.m., when three flu-sickened children were being treated in the emergency room. Ready for another 12-hour shift, pediatric nurse Lindsay Wheeler donned her stethoscope and noticed, with some surprise, that there was no long waiting line of coughing youngsters and parents in surgical masks. Read more...

Op-Ed: Let Common Sense Guide Flu Strategy

Richard Crum — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:37:59 -0500

NOVEMBER 16, 2009 -- One of the most serious threats to domestic and international business travel is a pandemic. In the six years since the emergence of SARSsevere acute respiratory syndromethe majority of the business travel management profession has taken elaborate steps to prepare for the kind of pandemic defined by massive quarantines and the vast immobilization of millions of people. Several near-alarms have prompted the industry to take a closer look at subsequent developments and to determine the safest course of action for their travelersand for the other personnel, plus their families, who are directly or indirectly exposed to these individuals upon their return. Read more...

Online gangs cash in on swine flu

Kate Kelland — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:36:21 -0500

LONDON (Reuters) - Criminal gangs are making millions of dollars out of the H1N1 flu pandemic by selling fake flu drugs over the internet, a web security firm said on Monday. Read more...

SOMALIA: WHO confirms first cases of H1N1

IRIN — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:34:34 -0500

NAIROBI, 16 November 2009 (IRIN) - The first cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 have been confirmed in Somalia, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO). Read more...

Public Health Recommendations For Groups At High Risk Of H1N1 Influenza A and Planning On Travelling To 2009 HAJJ

Stephanie Brunner — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:32:52 -0500

During the 2009 Hajj beginning around November 25, some 2.5 million pilgrims are expected at holy sites in Saudi Arabia. A public health paper published Online First and in a future edition of The Lancet reports that in order to combat the threat posed by H1N1 influenza A, the Saudi Arabian Health Ministry has issued public health recommendations. Read more...

Iraq: Situation report on influenza A H1N1 pandemic (as of 15 Nov 2009)

WHO — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:31:01 -0500

As of 15th November 2009, 9:00 AM Baghdad time, 18 governorates ( All Iraq governorates) have reported 1835 laboratory confirmed cases of Influenza A H1N1 including 9 deaths. Out of the total cases 480 are members of the multinational forces. Read more...

Businesses should follow tips to survive flu season

Statesman — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:51:31 -0500

As always, planning and prevention remain our best defenses, especially in the workplace. There are many ways employers can protect their employees and customers during the H1N1 pandemic. Read more...

Modern H1N1 strain similar to virus that caused ‘Great Pandemic’ of 1918, killed 20 million

DIANE COCHRAN — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:38:38 -0500

In a way, its hard not to admire influenza.

It is a tenacious little Tom Sawyer of a bug that persuades its victims to do all of its work for it and constantly reinvents itself to ensure it will have a never-ending supply of hosts. Read more...

H1N1 fatalities reaches near 3,900

Stacy Bissmeyer — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:36:22 -0500

According to cnn.com, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have announced that nearly 3,900, including approximately 540 children, are believed to have become fatalities as a result of the H1N1 flu since the epidemic began about six months ago. This figure is considered to be a sharp increase from previous counts of cases that were confirmed by laboratories, as well as being based on detailed analysis of data from several dozen districts across the United States. Read more...

H1N1 flu killed more than 500 U.S. kids in six months

Reuters — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:34:37 -0500

H1N1 swine flu killed an estimated 3,900 Americans between April and October, including more than 500 children, U.S. health officials said Thursday. Read more...

Doctor: Swine flu is 'here and severe'

Michael Woyton — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:47:33 -0500

Dr. Marc Habert, chairman of the medical committee at The Children's Medical Group, sent his patients an e-mail Thursday that said "the mid-Hudson region is currently in the midst of a flu epidemic (H1N1)." Read more...

Researchers Mobilizing Global Resources to Test New Treatments for Severe H1N1 Infection

Science Daily — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:45:56 -0500

ScienceDaily (Nov. 14, 2009) An important, ground-breaking initiative is unfolding in the global critical care community in response to the H1N1 pandemic. Read more...

WHO notes H1N1 up in some regions, leveling in others

Lisa Schnirring — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:43:54 -0500

Nov 13, 2009 (CIDRAP News) Pandemic activity is showing early signs of peaking in some parts of North America, but is on the rise in several European countries as well as those in Central and Eastern Asia, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.

In the United States, southern and southeastern states that were among the first to report illness spikes at the end of the summer may have already seen a peak in cases, the WHO said in its weekly update today. Read more...

Weekly 2009 H1N1 Flu Media Briefing: Children’s Death Estimates Tripled Based on New Data

Huntingtonnews.net — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:00:10 -0500

Atlanta, (HNN) - Glen Nowak: Todays press briefing on H1N1 will be conducted by Dr. Anne Schuchat. she'll be providing an update on where we stand with respect to vaccine as well as providing CDC's estimates of the pandemic and the United States. Read more...

How do I protect my child from swine flu?

Carley Bowman — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:57:48 -0500

How can I protect my child from swine flu? It is a question that has kept me awake at night. Read more...

H1N1 cases on decline, state health board says

MARK TAYLOR — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:55:11 -0500

Indiana health officials were encouraged by recent statewide decreases in the spread of the H1N1 influenza virus and a commensurate drop in the number of deaths attributable to the virus. Read more...

How U.N. redefined 'pandemic' to heighten alarm over H1N1

Chelsea Schilling — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:53:07 -0500

In light of a perceived swine flu outbreak, the World Health Organization raised its influenza pandemic alert to its second highest level in May but evidence reveals the agency may have made it easier to classify the flu outbreak as a pandemic by changing its definition to omit "enormous numbers of deaths and illness" just prior to making its declaration. Read more...

Antivirals can prevent pandemic flu deaths - WHO

Laura MacInnis — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:54:36 -0500

GENEVA (Reuters) - Antiviral medicines can prevent H1N1 flu deaths and should be given quickly to pregnant women, very young children and people with underlying medical problems who fall ill, the World Health Organisation said Thursday. Read more...

ANALYSIS-New US swine flu death estimates will be guess

Maggie Fox — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:53:05 -0500

WASHINGTON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - U.S. health officials are due to release new estimates of deaths from swine flu on Thursday, but the numbers will be just that -- a rough estimate. Read more...

Swine flu deaths in Europe doubling by the week, agency says

Bloomberg News — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:51:26 -0500

Swine flu deaths in Europe doubled in three of the last four weeks, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control said Wednesday. Read more...

White House Endorses Paid Sick Leave Bill

STEVEN GREENHOUSE — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:49:45 -0500

The H1N1 pandemic is raising concerns about people reporting to work sick and spreading the disease. The pandemic has given momentum to Congressional efforts to enact legislation that would guarantee paid sick days to tens of millions of workers although it is far from clear that such legislation will be enacted. Read more...

£7.5 million collaborations lead UK research community's response to H1N1 pandemic

Wellcome — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:55:49 -0500

Leading UK research funders today announce £7.5 million of funding for a series of projects aimed at understanding the development and spread of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 - or swine flu. The research will look at every aspect of the virus, on pig farms, in the community, and in hospital intensive care units. Read more...

Swiss Environmental Company Taps RSA to Ensure Business Continuity in the Event of Global H1N1 Pandemic

EMC Corporation — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:53:46 -0500

BEDFORD, Mass., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- RSA, The Security Division of EMC (NYSE: EMC) announced that Valorec Services AG, a Swiss environmental and waste services company, has almost quadrupled its deployment of the RSA SecurID® On-Demand Authenticator for secure, remote network access in order to help guarantee business continuity. Valorec previously outfitted RSA SecurID to a smaller group of employees including members of upper management. Read more...

GlaxoSmithKline secures FDA approval for its pandemic vaccine

Local Tech Wire — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:52:07 -0500

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.  GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK) plans to begin deliveries of more than 7 million doses of a version of its H1N1 pandemic vaccine to the U.S. in December now that it has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Read more...

New poll shows Americans' confidence wanes in Obama's bid to halt H1N1 swine flu pandemic

Andrew Malcolm — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:48:50 -0500

With the H1N1 swine flu continuing to spread faster than the government's creaky distribution system can get out the vaccine, Americans' confidence in the Obama administration's ability to prevent a nationwide pandemic of the deadly illness is crumbling. Read more...

Swine Flu Packs Bigger Jolt for Asthmatics, Diabetics

Jason Gale — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:45:18 -0500

Nov. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Swine flu sufferers who have asthma, diabetes or other conditions that may worsen their illness should seek medical care as soon as the infection is suspected, the World Health Organization said. Read more...

Mongolia: H1N1 Influenza Pandemic Information Bulletin No.1

ReliefWeb — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:39:57 -0500

This bulletin is being issued for information only and reflects the current situation and details available at this time. The Federation is not seeking funding or other assistance from donors for this operation. The Mongolian Red Cross Society will, however, accept direct assistance to provide support to the affected population. Read more...

CDC to debate who gets ventilators for swine flu

Josh Gerstein — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:36:59 -0500

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has scheduled a meeting later this month to debate the sensitive issue of who should be given access to ventilators if the swine flu pandemic worsens. Read more...

Atitude Digital Media Uses Mediasite for Pandemic Planning, Takes Large Conferences Virtual

CNNMoney — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:34:56 -0500

MADISON, Wis., Nov. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- As more companies and organizations take measures to protect their employees from the H1N1 virus, more conferences and meetings are going virtual with Mediasite by Sonic Foundry, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOFO), the recognized market leader for rich media webcasting and knowledge management. Read more...

UPDATE 2-GSK to donate 50 mln doses of H1N1 vaccine to WHO

Reuters — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:31:55 -0500

GENEVA, Nov 10 (Reuters) - British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) has agreed to donate 50 million doses of pandemic H1N1 vaccine to the World Health Organisation for use in developing countries in coming months, the WHO said on Tuesday. Read more...

Vical's DNA Vaccine Technology Addresses Challenges of Emerging Diseases

CNNMoney — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:29:59 -0500

GALVESTON, Texas, Nov. 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vical Incorporated (Nasdaq:VICL) today is presenting a strong rationale advocating the use of DNA vaccine technology for emerging and/or pandemic infectious diseases. At the University of Texas Medical Branch Symposium, "The Changing Landscape of Vaccine Development," Larry R. Smith, Ph.D., the company's Vice President of Vaccine Research, systematically outlined the advantages of DNA vaccine technology over conventional vaccine technology in dealing with serious emerging threats. Read more...

Ukraine flu pandemic hits 1 mln people, leaves 174 dead

Rianovosti — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:27:50 -0500

KIEV, November 10 (RIA Novosti) - A pandemic of flu and respiratory illness has killed 174 people in Ukraine, and reported cases have exceeded 1 million, the health ministry said. Read more...

Doctor: Pandemic leveling

David Quick — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:52:44 -0500

The H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic appears to be leveling off and so far is no more deadly than seasonal flu and perhaps less so, according to Dr. James Wilde, director of the pediatric emergency department at the Medical College of Georgia. Read more...

ECDC situation report on new influenza A(H1N1) infection 09 Nov 2009

ReliefWeb — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:50:45 -0500

Main developments in past 72 hours

- ECDC updated its Pandemic Risk Assessment November 6th including recommended European planning assumptions for hospital care;

- WHO note concerning the detection of pandemic and other influenzas in animals; Read more...

Flu could kill 80,000 people in Europe

OnMedica Staff — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:48:13 -0500

Swine flu combined with seasonal flu could kill thousands of people across Europe, experts have claimed. Read more...

In Brief: Israel transfers 5,000 H1N1 vaccinations to Gaza

IRIN — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:45:45 -0500

TEL AVIV, 8 November 2009 (IRIN) - Israels Civil Administration announced on 5 November that it had transferred 5,000 pandemic H1N1 vaccinations to Gaza for Hajj pilgrims leaving to Saudi Arabia via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Read more...

MCG joins national flu-tracking network

Tom Corwin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:43:49 -0500

Computers at Medical College of Georgia Hospital and Clinics will soon help public health officials more closely track the flu pandemic. It could be the first fruits of what the Obama administration envisions as an integrated electronic medical record system that links providers and improves care. Read more...

A day in the life of a pandemic

Stephen Smith — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:41:53 -0500

On Thursday it was 63,500 swine flu doses, and hundreds of thousands in need. So who will get the vaccine? Inside the world of the state officials and doctors who must make that sobering choice, and of the worried people clamoring to be next in line. Read more...

U.S. states, counties struggle to deliver H1N1 shots

Maggie Fox — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:53:08 -0500

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - States and counties will be struggling to vaccinate people against the swine flu pandemic well into December and January -- long after the first peak of the virus in the United States, officials said on Wednesday. Read more...

Novartis’s Celtura Swine Flu Shot Wins German Backing

Dermot Doherty — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:51:10 -0500

Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Novartis AG won German regulatory approval for its Celtura swine flu vaccine. Read more...

Signs that swine flu may be easing in Phila. region

Don Sapatkin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:49:18 -0500

After several weeks of sharp increases in the spread of swine flu around the region, the first hints that the pandemic may be leveling off have begun to emerge. Read more...

Health department officials say flu pandemic has not peaked

T.W. Budig — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:47:31 -0500

Although 137 schools reported outbreaks of flu-like illness during the last week of October less than half the number than the previous week Minnesota Health Department (MDH) officials today (Wednesday, Nov. 4) waved off the idea the pandemic had peaked. Read more...

Flu outrunning vaccine, experts say

David Brown — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:45:19 -0500

Two state and city public health officials briefing Congress on Wednesday said they don't expect to have enough pandemic-flu vaccine to meet the needs of their high-priority population groups until well into December, and possibly not until January. Read more...

New WHO Criteria To Qualify Flu Viruses As Pandemic Strains

Peter A Gross — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:25:36 -0500

An editorial published today in BMJ Clinical Evidence reports that more flu viruses could qualify as pandemic strains as a result of recent changes to the World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria for a flu pandemic. Read more...

Swine Flu – One of the Most Massive Cover-Ups in American History

Dr. Russell Blaylock — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:22:07 -0500

What experience and history teach is this that people and governments never have learned anything from history or acted on principles deduced from it. ~ G.W.F. Hegel

I have been following the evolving pandemic of H1N1 influenza beginning with the original discovery of the infection in Mexico in March of this year. In the course of this study I have tried to utilize as my sources high-quality, peer-reviewed journals, data from the CDC and accepted textbooks of virology. Read More...

Flu pandemic closes schools

Maggie Fox — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:19:01 -0500

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Swine flu has driven up the price of horse meat in Mongolia, closed schools across Afghanistan and Ukraine and sparked a quarrel over whether detainees at a U.S. base in Cuba should be vaccinated. Read more...

Get your household ready for H1N1 virus

Kimberly Hayes Taylor — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:23:52 -0500

If the swine flu continues to hit Michigan as hard as epidemiologists and public health officials predict it will, many Michiganians will be too sick for at least a week to leave their homes for work, school or shopping. It also could mean that over-the-counter medicine may be in short supply. Read more...

Lack of Paid Sick Days May Worsen Flu Pandemic

STEVEN GREENHOUSE — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:21:47 -0500

Public health experts worried about the spread of the H1N1 flu are raising concerns that workers who deal with the public, like waiters and child care employees, are jeopardizing others by reporting to work sick because they do not get paid for days they miss for illness. Read more...

World fights A/H1N1 flu pandemic

Zhang Ning — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:19:46 -0500

With the A/H1N1 flu spreading rapidly, fighting the virus has become the world's focus.

Afghan health officials declare a health state of emergency in the country following the first death of one Afghan citizen from H1N1 Wednesday. Read more...

What Ifs for the City of Grand Island in a Pandemic Emergency

NTV — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:14:45 -0500

H1n1 cases are still coming in to Central Nebraska, according to the Central District Health Department. But because it's a new virus, Teresa Anderson said it's unknown how bad
it could get. Read more...

Pandemic may cause broadband speeds to slow

Broadband Genie — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:43:33 -0500

The imminent flu season could spell trouble for those reliant on their home broadband as the UK network struggles to keep up with bandwidth demand. Read more...

Nothing to sneeze at

Tiffany Morris — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:41:45 -0500

Nearly two weeks ago President Barack Obama declared the swine flu pandemic a national emergency. To put this in perspective, recent past national states of emergency include the aftermaths of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and of Hurricane Katrina. Young people are being hit especially hard with swine flu as some grade schools have even been closed. For some the flu has had very tragic consequences. Read more...

Flu Vaccine Promises Weren't Kept

The Hartford Courant — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:39:42 -0500

The Obama administration began preparations for a major pandemic as soon as the new strain of potentially deadly swine flu, known as H1N1, was discovered in Mexico last spring. Read more...

Pneumonia vaccine could save money in flu pandemic

Julie Steenhuysen — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:37:56 -0500

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A more protective form of Pfizer's vaccine for pneumococcal disease would be highly effective at preventing deaths from pandemic influenza, independent researchers and the company reported over the weekend. Read more...

Chapman woman recalls 1918 flu pandemic

Kathy Hageman — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:36:24 -0500

Chapman resident Helen Lindahl was only 8 years old when the deadly Spanish Flu swept the globe 91 years ago.

It was scary, Helen, now 99, recalled. We all knew we could contract it. Read more...

More Children Die From Pandemic, Final Childrens Tamiflu Released

Bryan Rupp — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:33:51 -0500

Across the nation the pandemic is really beginning to prove it's ferocity, especially involving children. Read more...

Businesses urged to prep for H1N1

Jennifer Feals — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:50:14 -0500

Local businesses can be more prepared to protect themselves and their employees in the event of an H1N1 outbreak. Read more...

Experts show benefits of IV antivirals for severe H1N1

Lisa Schnirring — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:48:38 -0500

Oct 29, 2009 (CIDRAP News) Though only available for emergency use, intravenous (IV) antivirals peramivir and zanamivir have been lifesaving for some pandemic H1N1 patients, including two dramatic cases that doctors presented yesterday during a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conference call for clinicians. Read more...

Experts advise WHO on pandemic vaccine policies and strategies

WHO — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:47:03 -0500

30 OCTOBER 2009 | GENEVA -- The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization, which advises WHO on policies and strategies for vaccines and immunization, devoted a session of its 2729 October meeting to pandemic influenza vaccines. The experts reviewed the current epidemiological situation of the pandemic worldwide and considered issues and options from a public health perspective. Read more...

Bulgarian town declares pandemic emergency

Nick Iliev — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:45:32 -0500

The town of Nikopol, north Bulgaria, Municipality of Pleven, is the first in the country to declare an all-out influenza pandemic emergency, Bulgarian National Television (BNT) said on October 30 2009. Read more...

Swine flu? Yes, there's an app for that

Kelly Brewington — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:43:35 -0500

Well, it was only a matter of time. Last month, we told you about an iPhone application called Outbreaks Near Me, designed by researchers from the Children's Hospital of Boston, promising to help you track every move of the H1N1 virus. Read more...

UPDATE 1-WHO experts say flu vaccines safe, one dose needed

Jonathan Lynn — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:41:41 -0500

GENEVA, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Only one dose of vaccine is needed for protection against pandemic H1N1 flu and the jabs have so far proved to be safe, the World Health Organisation said on Friday. Read more...

Protecting from H1N1 flu pandemic infection

DR. GERALD GORDON — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:39:41 -0500

I have heard a great deal of information and misinformation about influenza H1N1 infection (swine flu) and H1N1 vaccine. Because of H1N1 infection a national state of emergency has been declared by President Obama. This certainly would make most people concerned and maybe afraid. Read more...

Making money off a pandemic

Keith Rosenthal — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:15:14 -0500

What does it say about the capitalist system that some of its most profitable companies are happiest when newly evolved and potentially catastrophic viruses emerge to threaten humanity, asks Keith Rosenthal? Read more...

Shortage of Vaccine Poses Political Test for Obama

SHERYL GAY STOLBERG — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:13:03 -0500

WASHINGTON The moment a novel strain of swine flu emerged in Mexico last spring, President Obama instructed his top advisers that his administration would not be caught flat-footed in the event of a deadly pandemic. Now, despite months of planning and preparation, a vaccine shortage is threatening to undermine public confidence in government, creating a very public test of Mr. Obamas competence. Read more...

Pandemic Influenza (H1N1) 09 Swine Flu - Update 157

Voxy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:22:02 -0500

The international picture

Pandemic influenza cases are increasing in many northern hemisphere countries. According to the World Health Organization's (WHO) latest update USA is reporting high rates of pandemic H1N1 and influenza-like illness (ILI). Canada too reports increased ILI rates for the fourth week in a row, and Mexico reports influenza in some areas. Influenza activity is low but showing a small increase in Europe and Northern Asia. Further information is available on the WHO's website http://www.who.int/en/ More...

Flu pandemic fear: too many people home sick overwhelms internet

Kelly Brewington — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:18:45 -0500

Telecommuting is a way of life for most businesses, as the internet keeps us connected to the office, from near and far.

With the swine flu in full swing, businesses have adopted contingency plans to allow their employees to work from home if they are sick, or at least until they get well enough not to infect their colleagues upon their return. More...

Harvard Medical School Launches iPhone App / The app enables users to reduce their risk of contracting virus H1N

Filip Truta — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:16:32 -0500

A new iPhone application developed by the Harvard Health Publications Division of the Harvard Medical School is now available in the iTunes App Store. Dubbed the HMSMobile Swine Flu Center, the app is touted as being a vital tool that leverages Harvards extensive knowledge and provides the public with timely information on the prevention and outbreaks of the H1N1 virus, also known as the Swine Flu. More...

Russia confirms first swine flu deaths: officials

AFP — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:35:40 -0500

MOSCOW (AFP) - Four Russians have died of swine flu, health officials said on Tuesday, in the first deaths from the A(H1N1) virus confirmed by Moscow.

Three of the deaths took place in Russia's far eastern Zaibalsky region, while the fourth person died in Moscow, officials said. More...