China reports fast rise of A/H1N1 flu deaths
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-02 21:37:29 Print
·Chinese mainland saw a faster increase of deaths from A/H1N1 influenza in past weeks.
·A total of 74 deaths were reported in the week from Nov. 23 to 29.
·Reported deaths in the previous two weeks were 28 and 51 respectively.
BEIJING, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland saw a faster increase of deaths from the A/H1N1 influenza in the past weeks, according to the Ministry of Health.
A total of 74 deaths were reported in the week from Nov. 23 to 29, said a notice issued on the ministry's website Wednesday. Reported deaths in the previous two weeks were 28 and 51 respectively.
About 91 percent of all the flu cases reported last week were of the A/H1N1 strain, compared with 89.8 percent in the previous week, the notice said.
The ministry advised the public to keep warm in the cold weather, wash hands frequently and keep rooms ventilated.
As of Monday, more than 27 million people nationwide had been inoculated with China-made A/H1N1 vaccine, according to the ministry.
Four deaths had been reported after vaccination and three had been confirmed irrelevant to the vaccines, while cause of the other is not clear yet, the ministry said.
China, Tibet, HK, Mongolia, Taiwan, Viet Nam, Thailand et al
Moderators: yankee-in-france, Fashionista
by Eliza » Sat Dec 05, 2009 4:56 pm
S Korea reports 13 additional death cases related to flu A/H1N1
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-03 16:33:24 Print
SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Thursday reported 13 additional death cases related to A/H1N1 flu, raising the country's death toll from the new contagious disease to 117.
Among the all 117 victims, 100 patients were categorized as being in the "high-risk" group, the country's health authorities said.
Despite the new death cases, the government considers lowering the nation's alert level against the A/H1N1 flu from the highest "red" to the second-highest "orange."
The health authorities said the pace of the new contagious disease infections appears to have slowed in recent weeks, after reaching its peak at the end of October, when 24 people died of the new flu during the period of Oct. 25-31.
South Korea has been maintaining the red alert since Nov. 3 as there were an average 8,857 people confirmed as having been infected with the new flu.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-03 16:33:24 Print
SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Thursday reported 13 additional death cases related to A/H1N1 flu, raising the country's death toll from the new contagious disease to 117.
Among the all 117 victims, 100 patients were categorized as being in the "high-risk" group, the country's health authorities said.
Despite the new death cases, the government considers lowering the nation's alert level against the A/H1N1 flu from the highest "red" to the second-highest "orange."
The health authorities said the pace of the new contagious disease infections appears to have slowed in recent weeks, after reaching its peak at the end of October, when 24 people died of the new flu during the period of Oct. 25-31.
South Korea has been maintaining the red alert since Nov. 3 as there were an average 8,857 people confirmed as having been infected with the new flu.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:15 pm
Taiwan records 33rd death from influenza A(H1N1)
Central News Agency
Page 3
2009-12-09 12:00 AM
Health authorities reported yesterday that a 53-year-old woman with underlying health conditions has died from influenza A(H1N1), the 33rd person in Taiwan to die from the virus. The patient, a resident of Taipei County, had suffered from heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, according to the Central Epidemics Command Center (CECC).
“85 percent of those people who died of H1N1 flu had been patients of chronic diseases, “ said Chou Jih-haw, deputy director-general of the Centers for Disease Control.
The total number of H1NI flu infection cases since the outbreak began had reached 766 as of Monday, of which 33 had resulted in death, according to the CECC.
Most of these cases had recovered and been discharged, the CECC said. Meanwhile, as of Monday, 479 classes in 325 schools around the country remained closed because of H1N1 infections among the students.
Central News Agency
Page 3
2009-12-09 12:00 AM
Health authorities reported yesterday that a 53-year-old woman with underlying health conditions has died from influenza A(H1N1), the 33rd person in Taiwan to die from the virus. The patient, a resident of Taipei County, had suffered from heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, according to the Central Epidemics Command Center (CECC).
“85 percent of those people who died of H1N1 flu had been patients of chronic diseases, “ said Chou Jih-haw, deputy director-general of the Centers for Disease Control.
The total number of H1NI flu infection cases since the outbreak began had reached 766 as of Monday, of which 33 had resulted in death, according to the CECC.
Most of these cases had recovered and been discharged, the CECC said. Meanwhile, as of Monday, 479 classes in 325 schools around the country remained closed because of H1N1 infections among the students.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Sat Dec 12, 2009 9:47 pm
China's H1N1 flu death toll soars past 300
Posted: 10 December 2009 1347 hrs
BEIJING: China's official H1N1 flu death toll has soared to 325, with more than a third of those fatalities reported in the first week of December, the health ministry has announced.
The total number of A(H1N1) influenza cases in the country surpassed 100,000 as of December 6, the ministry said in a statement posted Wednesday on its website.
Of the total deaths, 125 of them were reported in the week from November 30 to December 6, signalling that the death rate was picking up pace.
A ministry official was quoted earlier this month by the Beijing News as saying cold weather was to blame for the rapid rise in the number of H1N1 flu fatalities.
As of Wednesday, China had vaccinated more than 31 million people against the virus. Beijing aims to vaccinate up to 65 million people by the end of the year.
Last month, the health ministry ordered more transparent reporting of H1N1 flu fatalities following comments by a renowned medical whistleblower who questioned official tallies.
Medical expert Zhong Nanshan was quoted by a Chinese newspaper as saying he suspected authorities in some areas were under-reporting fatalities to convince superiors they were containing the virus.
Zhong's opinion carries weight after he earned wide respect in 2003 for defying the official line on the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak to help reveal the true extent of the epidemic.
The government had initially tried to hide the SARS outbreak and only owned up after it began to spill over into other countries.
Posted: 10 December 2009 1347 hrs
BEIJING: China's official H1N1 flu death toll has soared to 325, with more than a third of those fatalities reported in the first week of December, the health ministry has announced.
The total number of A(H1N1) influenza cases in the country surpassed 100,000 as of December 6, the ministry said in a statement posted Wednesday on its website.
Of the total deaths, 125 of them were reported in the week from November 30 to December 6, signalling that the death rate was picking up pace.
A ministry official was quoted earlier this month by the Beijing News as saying cold weather was to blame for the rapid rise in the number of H1N1 flu fatalities.
As of Wednesday, China had vaccinated more than 31 million people against the virus. Beijing aims to vaccinate up to 65 million people by the end of the year.
Last month, the health ministry ordered more transparent reporting of H1N1 flu fatalities following comments by a renowned medical whistleblower who questioned official tallies.
Medical expert Zhong Nanshan was quoted by a Chinese newspaper as saying he suspected authorities in some areas were under-reporting fatalities to convince superiors they were containing the virus.
Zhong's opinion carries weight after he earned wide respect in 2003 for defying the official line on the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak to help reveal the true extent of the epidemic.
The government had initially tried to hide the SARS outbreak and only owned up after it began to spill over into other countries.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Mon Dec 14, 2009 10:26 pm
N.Korea accepts S.Korea swine flu aid offer
(AFP) – 4 days ago
SEOUL — North Korea has accepted South Korea's offer of drugs to stem a swine flu outbreak, in what will be the first direct government aid since relations soured last year, officials said Thursday.
"North Korea informed our side today that it will accept our proposal to send Tamiflu," ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-Joo told AFP.
Unification Minister Hyun In-Taek said the South would send enough for 500,000 patients. "We'll provide it swiftly, without any conditions," Hyun told parliament.
The North announced for the first time Wednesday that it has several cases of swine flu, confirming outside reports of an outbreak in the secretive and impoverished communist state.
Humanitarian aid from the Seoul government was suspended after cross-border relations worsened last year, although Seoul funded assistance through private groups.
But President Lee Myung-Bak Tuesday told officials to offer assistance quickly once an outbreak was officially confirmed in the North.
"Assistance must be provided swiftly as the disease could quickly spread in North Korea where conditions are not so good," Lee said.
On Wednesday the North said a total of nine cases of (A)H1N1 have been reported in the capital Pyongyang and the city of Sinuiju on the Chinese border. It did not say whether anyone had died.
Good Friends, a Seoul-based welfare group with cross-border contacts, reported Monday the disease has been spreading rapidly in the North because Tamiflu is rare there.
It said seven youths died in Pyongyang in November while two others reportedly died in Pyongsong north of the capital.
Schools in the North last Friday started their winter holiday a month early to guard against the spread of the disease, the group said.
Observers say the virus could pose a particular threat to the North because of malnutrition amid persistent food shortages and a lack of drugs.
Good Friends said medical equipment and medicine is in short supply and clean drinking water and sanitised items hard to find.
The World Health Organisation said it was working with Pyongyang to help stem the outbreak and assess the scope of infections. It said there are likely to be more cases than announced, since people who have mild symptoms are not tested.
Cross-border relations have been warming in recent months.
In October the Seoul government offered its hungry neighbour 10,000 tons of corn plus 20 tons of milk powder and medicine, but there has been no official response from Pyongyang.
(AFP) – 4 days ago
SEOUL — North Korea has accepted South Korea's offer of drugs to stem a swine flu outbreak, in what will be the first direct government aid since relations soured last year, officials said Thursday.
"North Korea informed our side today that it will accept our proposal to send Tamiflu," ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-Joo told AFP.
Unification Minister Hyun In-Taek said the South would send enough for 500,000 patients. "We'll provide it swiftly, without any conditions," Hyun told parliament.
The North announced for the first time Wednesday that it has several cases of swine flu, confirming outside reports of an outbreak in the secretive and impoverished communist state.
Humanitarian aid from the Seoul government was suspended after cross-border relations worsened last year, although Seoul funded assistance through private groups.
But President Lee Myung-Bak Tuesday told officials to offer assistance quickly once an outbreak was officially confirmed in the North.
"Assistance must be provided swiftly as the disease could quickly spread in North Korea where conditions are not so good," Lee said.
On Wednesday the North said a total of nine cases of (A)H1N1 have been reported in the capital Pyongyang and the city of Sinuiju on the Chinese border. It did not say whether anyone had died.
Good Friends, a Seoul-based welfare group with cross-border contacts, reported Monday the disease has been spreading rapidly in the North because Tamiflu is rare there.
It said seven youths died in Pyongyang in November while two others reportedly died in Pyongsong north of the capital.
Schools in the North last Friday started their winter holiday a month early to guard against the spread of the disease, the group said.
Observers say the virus could pose a particular threat to the North because of malnutrition amid persistent food shortages and a lack of drugs.
Good Friends said medical equipment and medicine is in short supply and clean drinking water and sanitised items hard to find.
The World Health Organisation said it was working with Pyongyang to help stem the outbreak and assess the scope of infections. It said there are likely to be more cases than announced, since people who have mild symptoms are not tested.
Cross-border relations have been warming in recent months.
In October the Seoul government offered its hungry neighbour 10,000 tons of corn plus 20 tons of milk powder and medicine, but there has been no official response from Pyongyang.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Mon Dec 14, 2009 10:29 pm
December 10, 2009 20:32 PM
Sufferers Of Chronic Diseases More At Risk Of Dying From H1N1
BEIJING, Dec 10 (Bernama) -- As of Dec 7, China's A(H1N1) flu death toll had reached 326 cases with 47 per cent of the cases having suffered chronic diseases before they infected by the virus, China's Ministry of Health announced on Thursday.
Of the total casualties, 18 per cent were obese while 13.7 per cent were pregnant women. The ratio of male and female patients to die of H1N1 was 88:42.
The ministry's statistics indicated patients suffering from chronic diseases, obese people, pregnant women, infants and people in old age were more at risk to being infected by the virus.
Experts suggested these groups should reduce their activity in crowded places and avoid contact with people who had flu like symptoms.
To date, China has reported almost 100,000 H1N1 cases, of which 4328 are severe cases.
Meanwhile, till December 9, China had certified and released 65.87 million doses of Flu vaccine to the local health authorities with 32.38 million people innoculated.
-- BERNAMA
Sufferers Of Chronic Diseases More At Risk Of Dying From H1N1
BEIJING, Dec 10 (Bernama) -- As of Dec 7, China's A(H1N1) flu death toll had reached 326 cases with 47 per cent of the cases having suffered chronic diseases before they infected by the virus, China's Ministry of Health announced on Thursday.
Of the total casualties, 18 per cent were obese while 13.7 per cent were pregnant women. The ratio of male and female patients to die of H1N1 was 88:42.
The ministry's statistics indicated patients suffering from chronic diseases, obese people, pregnant women, infants and people in old age were more at risk to being infected by the virus.
Experts suggested these groups should reduce their activity in crowded places and avoid contact with people who had flu like symptoms.
To date, China has reported almost 100,000 H1N1 cases, of which 4328 are severe cases.
Meanwhile, till December 9, China had certified and released 65.87 million doses of Flu vaccine to the local health authorities with 32.38 million people innoculated.
-- BERNAMA
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:35 pm
Health officials warn of China flu peak in next two months
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-11 13:14:57 Print
BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- China will face increasing pressure to control the spread of A/H1N1 flu in the next two months, said the Ministry of Health Friday.
"As the New Year and Spring Festival draw near, the country is expecting a huge number of travelers nationwide, which will further increase pressure to control the flu," said Deng Haihua, ministry spokesman, at a press conference.
A/H1N1 flu continued to spread and the number of cases, especially serious cases, was rising, Deng said. "The epidemic showed high activity as about 91 percent of flu cases were A/H1N1 flu in China."
The total number of confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu in the mainland had topped 100,000 and fatalities totaled 326 by Wednesday.
In the week from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6, the country reported 125 deaths from the A/H1N1 flu.
The next two months would be "very critical" for flu control, Deng said.
Seasonal flu reached a peak in December and January and A/H1N1 flu could follow the same pattern. Both natural and social factors would contribute to the peak, said Liang Wannian, director of the ministry's emergency reaction office, at the press conference.
"Some experts estimate the peak will last till March. We will closely watch developments," he said.
China started A/H1N1 flu vaccinations in September and about 32.38 million people on the mainland had been vaccinated by Wednesday, according to the ministry.
"The vaccination proved to be effective in curbing the spread of the flu," he said.
By Monday, about 3,631 people had been suspected of having adverse reactions against the vaccine.
"About one in 1 million vaccinated people reported serious adverse reactions in China. This neither exceeded the ratio in clinical tests of A/H1N1 flu vaccines at home and abroad nor figures in other countries where mass vaccinations were conducted," Deng said.
Although the vaccinations proceeded smoothly, the health authorities would work even harder to cover more people, Deng said.
More people would be included in priority groups, including expectant mothers, veterinarians and migrant workers, he said.
Liang Xiaofeng, a director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at the conference that clinical tests carried out by the United States had shown the A/H1N1 influenza vaccines were generally safe and effective on pregnant women.
The ministry reported Wednesday that about 13.7 percent of the country's 326 deaths from the flu were pregnant women.
Deng also said migrant workers employed in labor-intensive work units would become a focus group for the nationwide inoculation program.
In November, the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau's announcement of plans to vaccinate its 12 million permanent residents before the migrant population drew heated discussion on the Internet and public complaints.
The municipal bureau later said it would consider free vaccination to migrant residents.
"We will speed up the vaccinations," Liang said. "Now about 1 million people are vaccinated daily on average. We hope the figure will increase to 1.5 million daily so that as many as vulnerable people as possible will be vaccinated before the Spring Festival."
The festival and seven-day national vacation, traditionally for family reunions, will run from Feb. 13 to 19.
On Thursday, health bureau in south China's Guangdong Province confirmed the body of a three-year-old baby infected with A/H1N1 flu disease was found in a dry ditch at Shihu village of Guangzhou city on Wednesday afternoon.
Police said after a preliminary investigation that the baby, Zhou Hongdu, might have been dumped by his parents because of the high cost of treatment.
As the government's ability to provide medical help for disadvantaged groups under such circumstances was called into question, the ministry would closely monitor the investigation the follow-up work, said Liang.
Liang said preventive treatment of A/H1N1, such as vaccinations, was free, and later treatment costs were included in the public medical insurance system.
The treatment costs differed according to region, age and profession, and the ministry has been collecting data to better guide A/H1N1 flu prevention and treatment, Liang said.
The baby was sent to hospital by its parents on Nov. 26 after showing symptoms of fever and coughing. He was in serious condition later with complications caused by acute bronchitis and respiratory failure.
On Dec. 6, his parents requested hospital stop treatment and left the hospital with the baby. Three days later, the baby's body was found by sanitation workers, and his parents denied dumping the child.
Police are continuing to investigate the case.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-11 13:14:57 Print
BEIJING, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- China will face increasing pressure to control the spread of A/H1N1 flu in the next two months, said the Ministry of Health Friday.
"As the New Year and Spring Festival draw near, the country is expecting a huge number of travelers nationwide, which will further increase pressure to control the flu," said Deng Haihua, ministry spokesman, at a press conference.
A/H1N1 flu continued to spread and the number of cases, especially serious cases, was rising, Deng said. "The epidemic showed high activity as about 91 percent of flu cases were A/H1N1 flu in China."
The total number of confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu in the mainland had topped 100,000 and fatalities totaled 326 by Wednesday.
In the week from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6, the country reported 125 deaths from the A/H1N1 flu.
The next two months would be "very critical" for flu control, Deng said.
Seasonal flu reached a peak in December and January and A/H1N1 flu could follow the same pattern. Both natural and social factors would contribute to the peak, said Liang Wannian, director of the ministry's emergency reaction office, at the press conference.
"Some experts estimate the peak will last till March. We will closely watch developments," he said.
China started A/H1N1 flu vaccinations in September and about 32.38 million people on the mainland had been vaccinated by Wednesday, according to the ministry.
"The vaccination proved to be effective in curbing the spread of the flu," he said.
By Monday, about 3,631 people had been suspected of having adverse reactions against the vaccine.
"About one in 1 million vaccinated people reported serious adverse reactions in China. This neither exceeded the ratio in clinical tests of A/H1N1 flu vaccines at home and abroad nor figures in other countries where mass vaccinations were conducted," Deng said.
Although the vaccinations proceeded smoothly, the health authorities would work even harder to cover more people, Deng said.
More people would be included in priority groups, including expectant mothers, veterinarians and migrant workers, he said.
Liang Xiaofeng, a director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at the conference that clinical tests carried out by the United States had shown the A/H1N1 influenza vaccines were generally safe and effective on pregnant women.
The ministry reported Wednesday that about 13.7 percent of the country's 326 deaths from the flu were pregnant women.
Deng also said migrant workers employed in labor-intensive work units would become a focus group for the nationwide inoculation program.
In November, the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau's announcement of plans to vaccinate its 12 million permanent residents before the migrant population drew heated discussion on the Internet and public complaints.
The municipal bureau later said it would consider free vaccination to migrant residents.
"We will speed up the vaccinations," Liang said. "Now about 1 million people are vaccinated daily on average. We hope the figure will increase to 1.5 million daily so that as many as vulnerable people as possible will be vaccinated before the Spring Festival."
The festival and seven-day national vacation, traditionally for family reunions, will run from Feb. 13 to 19.
On Thursday, health bureau in south China's Guangdong Province confirmed the body of a three-year-old baby infected with A/H1N1 flu disease was found in a dry ditch at Shihu village of Guangzhou city on Wednesday afternoon.
Police said after a preliminary investigation that the baby, Zhou Hongdu, might have been dumped by his parents because of the high cost of treatment.
As the government's ability to provide medical help for disadvantaged groups under such circumstances was called into question, the ministry would closely monitor the investigation the follow-up work, said Liang.
Liang said preventive treatment of A/H1N1, such as vaccinations, was free, and later treatment costs were included in the public medical insurance system.
The treatment costs differed according to region, age and profession, and the ministry has been collecting data to better guide A/H1N1 flu prevention and treatment, Liang said.
The baby was sent to hospital by its parents on Nov. 26 after showing symptoms of fever and coughing. He was in serious condition later with complications caused by acute bronchitis and respiratory failure.
On Dec. 6, his parents requested hospital stop treatment and left the hospital with the baby. Three days later, the baby's body was found by sanitation workers, and his parents denied dumping the child.
Police are continuing to investigate the case.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Wed Dec 16, 2009 9:09 pm
Second wave of H1N1 flu hits Thailand
Published: 17/12/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News
An estimated 2 million Thais are at risk of contracting type-A (H1N1) influenza following the re-emergence of the pandemic, experts say.
Up to 90 deaths are also expected in the second wave unless strict surveillance measures are undertaken by local communities to deal with the spread of the virus, said Kamnuan Ungchusak, a medical expert with the Disease Control Department.
"Whoever thought the type-A (H1N1) flu pandemic is over is completely wrong," Dr Kamnuan told the 2nd National Health Assembly on its opening day yesterday.
"The second wave will continue until February and the virus will remain widespread until it becomes a seasonal flu strain."
The epidemiologist said 8 million Thais had contracted the type-A (H1N1) flu during its first wave from April to October. Six million exhibited flu symptoms and there were 185 deaths.
In Chon Buri, meanwhile, a 72-year-old woman who suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma died from the type-A (H1N1) influenza on Sunday.
The latest death brings the number of flu fatalities in the country to 190.
Permanent secretary for health Paijit Warachit said the pandemic's second wave was caused by a combination of lower temperatures during the cool season and the spread of the virus from more northern countries.
Festive season activities which involve plenty of contact with strangers was also a factor in the looming pandemic, he said.
He said it was crucial people took precautions to protect themselves.
Dr Paijit gave an assurance the 2 million doses of imported flu vaccine were not from the same lot just withdrawn in the US.
The quality was good, he said.
Almost 800,000 children's doses of flu vaccine have been recalled in the US by manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur because they had lost some of their potency, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Published: 17/12/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News
An estimated 2 million Thais are at risk of contracting type-A (H1N1) influenza following the re-emergence of the pandemic, experts say.
Up to 90 deaths are also expected in the second wave unless strict surveillance measures are undertaken by local communities to deal with the spread of the virus, said Kamnuan Ungchusak, a medical expert with the Disease Control Department.
"Whoever thought the type-A (H1N1) flu pandemic is over is completely wrong," Dr Kamnuan told the 2nd National Health Assembly on its opening day yesterday.
"The second wave will continue until February and the virus will remain widespread until it becomes a seasonal flu strain."
The epidemiologist said 8 million Thais had contracted the type-A (H1N1) flu during its first wave from April to October. Six million exhibited flu symptoms and there were 185 deaths.
In Chon Buri, meanwhile, a 72-year-old woman who suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma died from the type-A (H1N1) influenza on Sunday.
The latest death brings the number of flu fatalities in the country to 190.
Permanent secretary for health Paijit Warachit said the pandemic's second wave was caused by a combination of lower temperatures during the cool season and the spread of the virus from more northern countries.
Festive season activities which involve plenty of contact with strangers was also a factor in the looming pandemic, he said.
He said it was crucial people took precautions to protect themselves.
Dr Paijit gave an assurance the 2 million doses of imported flu vaccine were not from the same lot just withdrawn in the US.
The quality was good, he said.
Almost 800,000 children's doses of flu vaccine have been recalled in the US by manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur because they had lost some of their potency, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Sat Dec 19, 2009 12:34 am
Former CDC chief offers to conduct autopsies in support of swine flu shots
Su said the campaign had already succeeded in reaching 4 million people
Taiwan News, Staff Writer
Page 3
2009-12-19 12:00 AM Fonts Size:
Former Centers for Disease Control Director Su Ih-jen said yesterday he was willing to perform autopsies to support the government's case that vaccines against the A(H1N1) virus were safe.
His offer followed fears that the vaccines had caused several deaths and were especially dangerous to pregnant women and their unborn children.
Su, who served at the CDC during the previous Democratic Progressive Party and gained prominence for his work against SARS, said the immunization campaign had already succeeded in reaching 4 million people but had won no accolades.
He was willing to take action in support of the vaccination policy because too much attention had been paid to a limited number of cases showing problems, he said. Su wrote a letter to Department of Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang to perform autopsies in questionable cases.
The former CDC chief said he was worried that the few problem cases would harm the will of a majority of people to be immunized against the flu virus.
The questionable cases included several pregnant women who had lost their babies. The DOH said yesterday that those cases were unrelated to the flu vaccines.
Two women had stillborn babies, two involved miscarriages, and one woman reportedly complained about receiving a flu shot before being informed she was pregnant.
DOH Vice Minister Chang Shan-chwen told a news conference yesterday that one baby was stillborn because of an abnormal placenta and that one miscarriage was the result of the fetus being caught up in the umbilical chord.
Neither case had anything to do with the A(H1N1) vaccine, Chang said, emphasizing that more than 13,000 pregnant women had already been immunized. The ratio of miscarriages was lower for vaccinated women than for those who did not receive any shots, while the ratio of stillborn babies was the same for both groups, he said.
The DOH also rejected reported links between the vaccine and the death of an elderly man and the health problems of an infant and a young woman. The 82-year-old man probably died of a heart attack, Chang said.
A senior high school student became numb on the left side of her body and a 19-month-old child had a drooping right eyelid in two cases which were not the result of flu shots, he said.
Su said the campaign had already succeeded in reaching 4 million people
Taiwan News, Staff Writer
Page 3
2009-12-19 12:00 AM Fonts Size:
Former Centers for Disease Control Director Su Ih-jen said yesterday he was willing to perform autopsies to support the government's case that vaccines against the A(H1N1) virus were safe.
His offer followed fears that the vaccines had caused several deaths and were especially dangerous to pregnant women and their unborn children.
Su, who served at the CDC during the previous Democratic Progressive Party and gained prominence for his work against SARS, said the immunization campaign had already succeeded in reaching 4 million people but had won no accolades.
He was willing to take action in support of the vaccination policy because too much attention had been paid to a limited number of cases showing problems, he said. Su wrote a letter to Department of Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang to perform autopsies in questionable cases.
The former CDC chief said he was worried that the few problem cases would harm the will of a majority of people to be immunized against the flu virus.
The questionable cases included several pregnant women who had lost their babies. The DOH said yesterday that those cases were unrelated to the flu vaccines.
Two women had stillborn babies, two involved miscarriages, and one woman reportedly complained about receiving a flu shot before being informed she was pregnant.
DOH Vice Minister Chang Shan-chwen told a news conference yesterday that one baby was stillborn because of an abnormal placenta and that one miscarriage was the result of the fetus being caught up in the umbilical chord.
Neither case had anything to do with the A(H1N1) vaccine, Chang said, emphasizing that more than 13,000 pregnant women had already been immunized. The ratio of miscarriages was lower for vaccinated women than for those who did not receive any shots, while the ratio of stillborn babies was the same for both groups, he said.
The DOH also rejected reported links between the vaccine and the death of an elderly man and the health problems of an infant and a young woman. The 82-year-old man probably died of a heart attack, Chang said.
A senior high school student became numb on the left side of her body and a 19-month-old child had a drooping right eyelid in two cases which were not the result of flu shots, he said.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Thu Dec 24, 2009 10:20 am
China reports 91 more deaths from H1N1 flu
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-23 21:58BEIJING:
The Chinese mainland has reported 91 deaths from the H1N1 influenza in the week from December 14 to 20, the Ministry of Health announced Wednesday.
A total of 6,129 H1N1 flu cases were reported during the period. H1N1 accounted for 87.5 percent of flu cases, a minor drop from the week before last, said the notice on the ministry's official website.
Pregnant women accounted for 8.7 percent of severe cases of the H1N1 influenza and 15.7 percent of deaths during this period, it said.
Related readings:
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H1N1 vaccination extended in China
Many places across the country still had a high incidence of the H1N1 flu, the notice said, urging people, especially pregnant women, to get inoculated according to the schedules of local health departments.
Bian Xuming, director of maternity department in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, suggested pregnant women promptly receive vaccinations against the flu and take all preventive measures.
"Pregnant women have low immunity and emergency response ability as their organs already bear heavy burdens, leaving them more vulnerable.
"Once they catch the flu, the illness will progress rapidly and they will be in more danger. That's why prevention is more important," Bian said.
As of Monday, almost 40.6 million people nationwide had been inoculated against the H1N1 flu while more than 75.2 million doses of vaccines had been approved for use.
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-12-23 21:58BEIJING:
The Chinese mainland has reported 91 deaths from the H1N1 influenza in the week from December 14 to 20, the Ministry of Health announced Wednesday.
A total of 6,129 H1N1 flu cases were reported during the period. H1N1 accounted for 87.5 percent of flu cases, a minor drop from the week before last, said the notice on the ministry's official website.
Pregnant women accounted for 8.7 percent of severe cases of the H1N1 influenza and 15.7 percent of deaths during this period, it said.
Related readings:
Poll shows worry about H1N1 flu shot persists
China develops herbal medication to treat H1N1 flu
China reports 116 more deaths from H1N1 flu
H1N1 vaccination extended in China
Many places across the country still had a high incidence of the H1N1 flu, the notice said, urging people, especially pregnant women, to get inoculated according to the schedules of local health departments.
Bian Xuming, director of maternity department in Peking Union Medical College Hospital, suggested pregnant women promptly receive vaccinations against the flu and take all preventive measures.
"Pregnant women have low immunity and emergency response ability as their organs already bear heavy burdens, leaving them more vulnerable.
"Once they catch the flu, the illness will progress rapidly and they will be in more danger. That's why prevention is more important," Bian said.
As of Monday, almost 40.6 million people nationwide had been inoculated against the H1N1 flu while more than 75.2 million doses of vaccines had been approved for use.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
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by Eliza » Thu Dec 24, 2009 4:50 pm
A/H1N1 pandemic death toll rise in South Korea
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-24 15:44:02 Print
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from A/H1N1 influenza in South Korea has increased for the second consecutive week while cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) have declined, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said on Thursday.
The Ministry said in a press release that an additional 22 deaths from the A/H1N1 virus were reported last week, increasing the total number of fatalities to 170 as of Dec. 19, and that 50 patients are currently being treated for severe flu complications at intensive care units.
However, the ministry also said cases of ILI per 1,000 outpatients have dropped by 34.8 percent from the previous week to12.32 patients, adding that the average number of daily antiviral prescriptions cut down by 25.4 percent to 15,258 cases.
"The prevalence of A/H1N1 flu disease has continued to diminish as we actively distributed antiviral drugs, but we're seeing more fatal cases in high-risk groups where proper vaccination is unavailable," a ministry official was quoted as saying by local media Yonhap News Agency.
The World Health Organization announced Wednesday that at least11,516 people worldwide have been killed by the pandemic.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-24 15:44:02 Print
SEOUL, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from A/H1N1 influenza in South Korea has increased for the second consecutive week while cases of Influenza-like Illness (ILI) have declined, the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said on Thursday.
The Ministry said in a press release that an additional 22 deaths from the A/H1N1 virus were reported last week, increasing the total number of fatalities to 170 as of Dec. 19, and that 50 patients are currently being treated for severe flu complications at intensive care units.
However, the ministry also said cases of ILI per 1,000 outpatients have dropped by 34.8 percent from the previous week to12.32 patients, adding that the average number of daily antiviral prescriptions cut down by 25.4 percent to 15,258 cases.
"The prevalence of A/H1N1 flu disease has continued to diminish as we actively distributed antiviral drugs, but we're seeing more fatal cases in high-risk groups where proper vaccination is unavailable," a ministry official was quoted as saying by local media Yonhap News Agency.
The World Health Organization announced Wednesday that at least11,516 people worldwide have been killed by the pandemic.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Tue Dec 29, 2009 1:27 pm
Hong Kong records 50th death from A/H1N1 flu
Submitted by Jatin Kumar on Mon, 12/28/2009 - 05:26 Featured Health
Update Hong Kong TNM
The number of deaths in Hong Kong has been increasing continuously due to the deadly A/H1N1 flu.
Now, Hong Kong has recorded its 50th death with the casualty of a 30-year-old woman.
According to the local Hospital officials, the woman sought emergency medical aid at a local hospital on December 19 after having fever and cough, and later confirmed to be influenza A/H1N1 positive the next day.
The condition of the woman became worse and was transferred to the intensive care unit on December 21. She was put on the ventilation support.
However, the woman died here on Wednesday afternoon.
The hospital authority said, “Another critical case, which involves a 52-year-old man who had received kidney transplant in the past.”
The local health department said that around 15, 467 had received A/H1N1 flu vaccinations since the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has introduced a vaccination program first targeting vulnerable groups since Monday.
Submitted by Jatin Kumar on Mon, 12/28/2009 - 05:26 Featured Health
Update Hong Kong TNM
The number of deaths in Hong Kong has been increasing continuously due to the deadly A/H1N1 flu.
Now, Hong Kong has recorded its 50th death with the casualty of a 30-year-old woman.
According to the local Hospital officials, the woman sought emergency medical aid at a local hospital on December 19 after having fever and cough, and later confirmed to be influenza A/H1N1 positive the next day.
The condition of the woman became worse and was transferred to the intensive care unit on December 21. She was put on the ventilation support.
However, the woman died here on Wednesday afternoon.
The hospital authority said, “Another critical case, which involves a 52-year-old man who had received kidney transplant in the past.”
The local health department said that around 15, 467 had received A/H1N1 flu vaccinations since the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has introduced a vaccination program first targeting vulnerable groups since Monday.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Wed Dec 30, 2009 12:34 am
A/H1N1 death toll rises to 53 in Vietnam
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-30 13:09:11 Print
HANOI, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam confirmed one more death from the A/H1N1 influenza, bringing the country's total number of flu deaths to 53 so far this year, said a report of the website of the Vietnamese Ministry of Health on Wednesday.
The patient was a 64-year-old Vietnamese man from the northern Hung Yen province. He had a history of high blood pressure.
The man showed symptoms of fever and coughing on Dec. 6. He was taken to the country's Army Central Hospital 108 three days later with diagnosis of pneumonia.
The patient was then transferred to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases on Dec. 18 due to his health condition deterioration.
The patient died on Dec. 25. His samples tested positive to theA/H1N1 virus, said the report.
So far this year, Vietnam has reported 11,104 cases of A/H1N1 influenza, said Vietnam's Ministry of Health.
www.chinaview.cn 2009-12-30 13:09:11 Print
HANOI, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam confirmed one more death from the A/H1N1 influenza, bringing the country's total number of flu deaths to 53 so far this year, said a report of the website of the Vietnamese Ministry of Health on Wednesday.
The patient was a 64-year-old Vietnamese man from the northern Hung Yen province. He had a history of high blood pressure.
The man showed symptoms of fever and coughing on Dec. 6. He was taken to the country's Army Central Hospital 108 three days later with diagnosis of pneumonia.
The patient was then transferred to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases on Dec. 18 due to his health condition deterioration.
The patient died on Dec. 25. His samples tested positive to theA/H1N1 virus, said the report.
So far this year, Vietnam has reported 11,104 cases of A/H1N1 influenza, said Vietnam's Ministry of Health.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Wed Dec 30, 2009 2:47 pm
ASIA NEWS DECEMBER 31, 2009
North Korea Seen Battling Wave of Flu
Seoul-Based Group Says Rare Pyongyang Statement on Disbursement of Donated Treatments Suggests Spread of H1N1
By JAEYEON WOO
North Korea has sent out a nationwide alert in recent days about the apparent worsening spread of H1N1 flu, according to an aid group with contacts in the country.
The notice by the Seoul-based Buddhist aid group Good Friends follows the South Korean government's shipment of 400,000 doses of the flu treatment Tamiflu and 100,000 doses of the treatment Relenza to its impoverished neighbor on Dec. 18, amid fears that a delayed response to the disease in the North could lead to serious consequences for the South.
Good Friends said this week that North Korean officials had issued a statement that said patients suffering from the disease should be given priority. The group said the statement was of a type issued only twice before, for seriously wounded soldiers during the 1950-1953 Korean War and for a deadly skirmish with South Korea in 2002.
The true picture within highly restrictive North Korea is difficult to determine. Officials there couldn't be reached.
On Dec. 9, North Korea's official Korea Central News Agency confirmed that nine people had contracted the virus, also known as swine flu, in the capital of Pyongyang and in the city of Sinuiju.
South Korean officials, who met with their North Korean counterparts during the flu-treatment shipments, said they were unclear on the situation. Lee Jong-joo, a deputy spokeswoman for South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles relations with the North, said that the fact that North Korea officially disclosed it is fighting the virus suggests it could be serious.
"North Korean officials we met at that time said the country is setting up a tight disease-control system and getting itself ready for an outbreak in the country," she said Wednesday.
North Korean officials were "very grateful" for the South's donated treatments, said Kim Young-il, a manager at the ministry's humanitarian aid team.
South Korea's aid to the North has dwindled since President Lee Myung-bak took office in 2008. Mr. Lee tied aid to progress in talks to halt North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons. Talks have been slowed by Pyongyang's delaying tactics.
Amid recent peace overtures by the North, the South Korean government said Monday it would provide North Korea with $22 million in general humanitarian aid.
"Medication shipment alone is not enough. Since the infection is closely related to nutrition, the Seoul government should allow civil groups to resume their private aid works to efficiently fight against the disease," said Lee Woo-young, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.
Mr. Kim said the government doesn't currently plan to ship more flu aid.
According to the World Health Organization, H1N1 has caused at least 11,500 deaths world-wide. But activity has been declining in much of the world, including East Asia, it said.
North Korea Seen Battling Wave of Flu
Seoul-Based Group Says Rare Pyongyang Statement on Disbursement of Donated Treatments Suggests Spread of H1N1
By JAEYEON WOO
North Korea has sent out a nationwide alert in recent days about the apparent worsening spread of H1N1 flu, according to an aid group with contacts in the country.
The notice by the Seoul-based Buddhist aid group Good Friends follows the South Korean government's shipment of 400,000 doses of the flu treatment Tamiflu and 100,000 doses of the treatment Relenza to its impoverished neighbor on Dec. 18, amid fears that a delayed response to the disease in the North could lead to serious consequences for the South.
Good Friends said this week that North Korean officials had issued a statement that said patients suffering from the disease should be given priority. The group said the statement was of a type issued only twice before, for seriously wounded soldiers during the 1950-1953 Korean War and for a deadly skirmish with South Korea in 2002.
The true picture within highly restrictive North Korea is difficult to determine. Officials there couldn't be reached.
On Dec. 9, North Korea's official Korea Central News Agency confirmed that nine people had contracted the virus, also known as swine flu, in the capital of Pyongyang and in the city of Sinuiju.
South Korean officials, who met with their North Korean counterparts during the flu-treatment shipments, said they were unclear on the situation. Lee Jong-joo, a deputy spokeswoman for South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles relations with the North, said that the fact that North Korea officially disclosed it is fighting the virus suggests it could be serious.
"North Korean officials we met at that time said the country is setting up a tight disease-control system and getting itself ready for an outbreak in the country," she said Wednesday.
North Korean officials were "very grateful" for the South's donated treatments, said Kim Young-il, a manager at the ministry's humanitarian aid team.
South Korea's aid to the North has dwindled since President Lee Myung-bak took office in 2008. Mr. Lee tied aid to progress in talks to halt North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons. Talks have been slowed by Pyongyang's delaying tactics.
Amid recent peace overtures by the North, the South Korean government said Monday it would provide North Korea with $22 million in general humanitarian aid.
"Medication shipment alone is not enough. Since the infection is closely related to nutrition, the Seoul government should allow civil groups to resume their private aid works to efficiently fight against the disease," said Lee Woo-young, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies.
Mr. Kim said the government doesn't currently plan to ship more flu aid.
According to the World Health Organization, H1N1 has caused at least 11,500 deaths world-wide. But activity has been declining in much of the world, including East Asia, it said.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
Taiwan (Formosa)
by Eliza » Sat Jan 02, 2010 11:39 pm
Man given NT$50,000 after flu vaccine
The Department of Health (DOH) decided yesterday to offer a relief fund of NT$50,000 to a 35-year-old man because he showed symptoms including numbness in the lower limbs after getting A(H1N1) flu vaccination, making him the first recipient of financial aid related to the vaccine shots. Medical experts on a panel screening the medical cases related to vaccination said they have so far reviewed applications for relief fund in 39 cases connected to A(H1N1) flu inoculation, but the man was the only patient qualified for the relief measure.
Commensurate compensation to victimized vaccine recipients will be offered only when three major criteria are met: 1) after they are diagnosed to have suffered consequences related to vaccination; 2) their sufferings have reached a specific extent, and 3) the effects of the vaccines are unable to be ruled out, they explained.
The male patient in the case met the third criterion since the panel was unable to completely exclude the possible impact from the vaccine.
Thirteen days after taking the vaccine shot, the man showed symptoms of fever and numbness in the feet.
Since the man has a medical history of diseases, including problems in spinal cord, the problem could have arisen from effects on his immune system.
He will be given a relief fund of NT$50,000 because the team of medical experts were unable to entirely rule out the connection between the vaccine and the symptoms, a spokesman of the panel said.
The patient is presently recovering from the conditions after follow-up medical treatment, he said.
Families of some patients have held press conferences along with elected officials, mainly lawmakers and members of local county or city councils, to publicly question the connection between the causes of the patients' deaths and the anti-flu vaccine.
They accused the DOH for providing unsafe vaccines and sought government compensation.
At a press conference yesterday, Chang Yao-chung, a member of the Taichung City Council, said a student at a senior high vocational school in the central Taiwan city suddenly lapsed into unconsciousness and died after receiving the vaccine.
There were similar cases and suspicions expressed by patients' families.
DOH officials said autopsies will be performed at the request of families to determine the actual causes of patients' deaths with objective reviews by a panel of medical experts.
But families can also appeal their cases or use other channels for relief if they do not accept the ruling of the panel.
Families of some deceased patients have already filed charges against doctors who provided medical treatment and the DOH for providing the vaccines.
DOH officials such litigation cases will have to be dealt with via proper legal procedures.
Prosecutors said they can proceed with the judicial procedures only after gathering adequate evidence and getting formal medical reports from the Institute of Forensic Medicine under the Ministry of Justice to help determine the responsible parties for the cases.
Officials at the institute confirmed that they have been working on some cases related to the flu vaccines forwarded from prosecutors in various districts to help settle the medical disputes.
But they said the institute will not make public the findings concerning any particular cases before adequate medical examinations and analyses are completed.
The Department of Health (DOH) decided yesterday to offer a relief fund of NT$50,000 to a 35-year-old man because he showed symptoms including numbness in the lower limbs after getting A(H1N1) flu vaccination, making him the first recipient of financial aid related to the vaccine shots. Medical experts on a panel screening the medical cases related to vaccination said they have so far reviewed applications for relief fund in 39 cases connected to A(H1N1) flu inoculation, but the man was the only patient qualified for the relief measure.
Commensurate compensation to victimized vaccine recipients will be offered only when three major criteria are met: 1) after they are diagnosed to have suffered consequences related to vaccination; 2) their sufferings have reached a specific extent, and 3) the effects of the vaccines are unable to be ruled out, they explained.
The male patient in the case met the third criterion since the panel was unable to completely exclude the possible impact from the vaccine.
Thirteen days after taking the vaccine shot, the man showed symptoms of fever and numbness in the feet.
Since the man has a medical history of diseases, including problems in spinal cord, the problem could have arisen from effects on his immune system.
He will be given a relief fund of NT$50,000 because the team of medical experts were unable to entirely rule out the connection between the vaccine and the symptoms, a spokesman of the panel said.
The patient is presently recovering from the conditions after follow-up medical treatment, he said.
Families of some patients have held press conferences along with elected officials, mainly lawmakers and members of local county or city councils, to publicly question the connection between the causes of the patients' deaths and the anti-flu vaccine.
They accused the DOH for providing unsafe vaccines and sought government compensation.
At a press conference yesterday, Chang Yao-chung, a member of the Taichung City Council, said a student at a senior high vocational school in the central Taiwan city suddenly lapsed into unconsciousness and died after receiving the vaccine.
There were similar cases and suspicions expressed by patients' families.
DOH officials said autopsies will be performed at the request of families to determine the actual causes of patients' deaths with objective reviews by a panel of medical experts.
But families can also appeal their cases or use other channels for relief if they do not accept the ruling of the panel.
Families of some deceased patients have already filed charges against doctors who provided medical treatment and the DOH for providing the vaccines.
DOH officials such litigation cases will have to be dealt with via proper legal procedures.
Prosecutors said they can proceed with the judicial procedures only after gathering adequate evidence and getting formal medical reports from the Institute of Forensic Medicine under the Ministry of Justice to help determine the responsible parties for the cases.
Officials at the institute confirmed that they have been working on some cases related to the flu vaccines forwarded from prosecutors in various districts to help settle the medical disputes.
But they said the institute will not make public the findings concerning any particular cases before adequate medical examinations and analyses are completed.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:25 pm
China reports 648 deaths from A/H1N1 flu
16:15, January 03, 2010
The Chinese mainland reported 648 deaths from the A/H1N1 influenza as of Dec. 31, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday.
More than 120,000 A/H1N1 flu cases were reported up to the last day of 2009, 110,000 cases of which had recovered, the ministry said.
A/H1N1 accounted for 85.9 percent of flu cases, a minor drop from November, it said.
The ministry said there were fewer cases of large outbreak in schools of major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai last month, but the epidemic still spread in the countryside and urban communities.
There was also a drop in the weekly reported number of new cases but the number of serious cases and deaths, especially those of chronic patients, obese people and pregnant women, increased sharply, it said.
As of Dec. 31, more than 49.9 million people nationwide had been inoculated against the A/H1N1 flu, it said, adding about 12 people for every 100,000 were suspected of having adverse reaction related to the vaccine, similar to data from the World Health Organization.
The ministry said last month that China would face increasing pressure of flu control in the next two months due to nationwide flow of large population during the New Year and Spring Festival holidays.
Source: Xinhua
16:15, January 03, 2010
The Chinese mainland reported 648 deaths from the A/H1N1 influenza as of Dec. 31, the Ministry of Health said on Saturday.
More than 120,000 A/H1N1 flu cases were reported up to the last day of 2009, 110,000 cases of which had recovered, the ministry said.
A/H1N1 accounted for 85.9 percent of flu cases, a minor drop from November, it said.
The ministry said there were fewer cases of large outbreak in schools of major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai last month, but the epidemic still spread in the countryside and urban communities.
There was also a drop in the weekly reported number of new cases but the number of serious cases and deaths, especially those of chronic patients, obese people and pregnant women, increased sharply, it said.
As of Dec. 31, more than 49.9 million people nationwide had been inoculated against the A/H1N1 flu, it said, adding about 12 people for every 100,000 were suspected of having adverse reaction related to the vaccine, similar to data from the World Health Organization.
The ministry said last month that China would face increasing pressure of flu control in the next two months due to nationwide flow of large population during the New Year and Spring Festival holidays.
Source: Xinhua
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
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by Eliza » Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:30 pm
ASIA NEWS JANUARY 3, 2010, 3:48 A.M. ET
China Warns on New Swine-Flu Wave
Associated Press
BEIJING -- China is warning officials to brace for a possible new wave of swine-flu infections as the country enters the busy Lunar New Year travel period.
Tens of millions of Chinese take to the rails, roads, and air during the most important holiday of the traditional calendar, creating crowded conditions ideal for the spread of the virus. The holiday period this year runs from late January into February.
"During the 2010 New Year and Lunar New Year period, various factors such as spring travel, tourism, shopping, and other group activities will increase the risk of H1N1 infection," the Health Ministry said in a bulletin posted on its Web site Sunday. "Disease prevention measures must remain rigorous."
China has already taken severe measures seen to control the spread of the virus, quarantining large numbers of travelers and setting up temperature checks at virtually all schools and public buildings.
Experts differ on how effective those steps have been and the ministry said China, with 1.3 billion people, had recorded more than 120,000 cases of infection by the end of December, including 648 deaths. It said 447, or 69%, of those deaths were recorded in December alone, a spike attributed partly to a rise in virus fatalities among pregnant mothers from 8.8% of November's total to 18.6% of all December deaths. People with chronic illnesses and the obese also succumbed to the disease in larger numbers in December, the ministry said.
Underscoring the striking rise in the death toll in December, new H1N1 cases for the month accounted for only 23% of the total, it said. However, the ministry said it hadn't discovered mutations in the virus or the emergence of drug-resistant strains, appearing to put much of the monthly increase in deaths down to seasonal factors.
While it said numbers of cases have fallen strikingly in Beijing, Shanghai and other major cities, rural areas -- where medical resources are typically poorer and emergency response times slower -- will likely suffer the brunt of a renewed outbreak, the ministry said. Rural schools should especially be on guard, it said.
It cited monitoring, prevention, immunization and treatment as the key strategies to contain the virus, with almost 50 million people having received the H1N1 vaccine already.
China Warns on New Swine-Flu Wave
Associated Press
BEIJING -- China is warning officials to brace for a possible new wave of swine-flu infections as the country enters the busy Lunar New Year travel period.
Tens of millions of Chinese take to the rails, roads, and air during the most important holiday of the traditional calendar, creating crowded conditions ideal for the spread of the virus. The holiday period this year runs from late January into February.
"During the 2010 New Year and Lunar New Year period, various factors such as spring travel, tourism, shopping, and other group activities will increase the risk of H1N1 infection," the Health Ministry said in a bulletin posted on its Web site Sunday. "Disease prevention measures must remain rigorous."
China has already taken severe measures seen to control the spread of the virus, quarantining large numbers of travelers and setting up temperature checks at virtually all schools and public buildings.
Experts differ on how effective those steps have been and the ministry said China, with 1.3 billion people, had recorded more than 120,000 cases of infection by the end of December, including 648 deaths. It said 447, or 69%, of those deaths were recorded in December alone, a spike attributed partly to a rise in virus fatalities among pregnant mothers from 8.8% of November's total to 18.6% of all December deaths. People with chronic illnesses and the obese also succumbed to the disease in larger numbers in December, the ministry said.
Underscoring the striking rise in the death toll in December, new H1N1 cases for the month accounted for only 23% of the total, it said. However, the ministry said it hadn't discovered mutations in the virus or the emergence of drug-resistant strains, appearing to put much of the monthly increase in deaths down to seasonal factors.
While it said numbers of cases have fallen strikingly in Beijing, Shanghai and other major cities, rural areas -- where medical resources are typically poorer and emergency response times slower -- will likely suffer the brunt of a renewed outbreak, the ministry said. Rural schools should especially be on guard, it said.
It cited monitoring, prevention, immunization and treatment as the key strategies to contain the virus, with almost 50 million people having received the H1N1 vaccine already.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:32 pm
Hong Kong reports 53rd death related to new flu
www.chinaview.cn 2010-01-03 20:03:30 Print
HONG KONG, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong Hospital Authority announced Sunday that a 49-year-old male patient with a history of diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome died earlier after he was confirmed to have contracted the A/H1N1 flu, becoming the 53rd person in the city claimed by the epidemic.
The patient was admitted to the United Christian Hospital on Dec. 22 with fever and other flu-like symptoms, since when he has been on ventilation support. He was prescribed with Tamiflu and antibiotics. The patient's condition became critical and was transferred to the intensive care unit on Dec. 23.
According to a spokesman of the hospital, the patient tested positive for the A/H1N1 flu on Dec. 24 and finally succumbed on Jan. 2.
www.chinaview.cn 2010-01-03 20:03:30 Print
HONG KONG, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong Hospital Authority announced Sunday that a 49-year-old male patient with a history of diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome died earlier after he was confirmed to have contracted the A/H1N1 flu, becoming the 53rd person in the city claimed by the epidemic.
The patient was admitted to the United Christian Hospital on Dec. 22 with fever and other flu-like symptoms, since when he has been on ventilation support. He was prescribed with Tamiflu and antibiotics. The patient's condition became critical and was transferred to the intensive care unit on Dec. 23.
According to a spokesman of the hospital, the patient tested positive for the A/H1N1 flu on Dec. 24 and finally succumbed on Jan. 2.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
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- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Fri Jan 08, 2010 5:26 pm
[size=24]HK reports 55th fatality of Influenza A/H1N1 [/size]
www.chinaview.cn 2010-01-06 21:42:16 Print
HONG KONG, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Hospital Authority of Hong Kong announced Wednesday another fatal case of Influenza A/H1N1, bringing to 55 the total number of fatal cases of the flu.
An 85-year-old woman who had been bed-ridden and on tube feeding attended the Accident and Emergency Department at Pok Oi Hospital on Dec. 22, 2009 due to fever and acute dyspnoea, said the authority
Positive result for Influenza A/H1N1 was confirmed the same day. She was then transferred to the isolation ward of Tuen Mun Hospital for treatment and was prescribed with Tamiflu and antibiotics.
The patient's condition continued to deteriorate and she required ventilation support. She succumbed at around 3 a.m. Wednesday, said the authority.
www.chinaview.cn 2010-01-06 21:42:16 Print
HONG KONG, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Hospital Authority of Hong Kong announced Wednesday another fatal case of Influenza A/H1N1, bringing to 55 the total number of fatal cases of the flu.
An 85-year-old woman who had been bed-ridden and on tube feeding attended the Accident and Emergency Department at Pok Oi Hospital on Dec. 22, 2009 due to fever and acute dyspnoea, said the authority
Positive result for Influenza A/H1N1 was confirmed the same day. She was then transferred to the isolation ward of Tuen Mun Hospital for treatment and was prescribed with Tamiflu and antibiotics.
The patient's condition continued to deteriorate and she required ventilation support. She succumbed at around 3 a.m. Wednesday, said the authority.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
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by Eliza » Sat Jan 09, 2010 10:36 pm
Thais to be vaccinated against A/H1N1 influenza: official
www.chinaview.cn 2010-01-07 16:49:56 Print
BANGKOK, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Thais who are in the country's most risky groups will be vaccinated against the A/H1N1 influenza from this Jan. 11, Doctor Paijit Warachit, public health permanent secretary disclosed Thursday.
The vaccination, which will finish at the end of March, is aimed to curb the new flu infection and to prevent fatality, said Doctor Paijit.
The ministry has been importing some two million doses of the A/H1N1 vaccine for those in the country's most risky groups, the doctor said.
The people, who are viewed as the most risky groups, include medical staff, women with at least three-month pregance, people having overweight, disabled people, and those with chronic diseases, he said.
However, the two million doses of the vaccine is not enough for the general public, hence, those, who will not be vaccinated by March, must maintain a strong health and follow precaution steps.
On Wednesday, Thailand reported one more death case due to the A/H1N1 influenza, bringing the country's death toll from the new flu contraction to 192.
The latest victim was a pregnant woman, who had a history of having had diabetes and high blood pressure.
www.chinaview.cn 2010-01-07 16:49:56 Print
BANGKOK, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Thais who are in the country's most risky groups will be vaccinated against the A/H1N1 influenza from this Jan. 11, Doctor Paijit Warachit, public health permanent secretary disclosed Thursday.
The vaccination, which will finish at the end of March, is aimed to curb the new flu infection and to prevent fatality, said Doctor Paijit.
The ministry has been importing some two million doses of the A/H1N1 vaccine for those in the country's most risky groups, the doctor said.
The people, who are viewed as the most risky groups, include medical staff, women with at least three-month pregance, people having overweight, disabled people, and those with chronic diseases, he said.
However, the two million doses of the vaccine is not enough for the general public, hence, those, who will not be vaccinated by March, must maintain a strong health and follow precaution steps.
On Wednesday, Thailand reported one more death case due to the A/H1N1 influenza, bringing the country's death toll from the new flu contraction to 192.
The latest victim was a pregnant woman, who had a history of having had diabetes and high blood pressure.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
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by Eliza » Thu Jan 21, 2010 5:29 pm
Two died from swine flu last week
Published: 20/01/2010 at 10:20 AM
Online news: Breakingnews
Two people died of the A(H1N1) flu virus last week, bringing the country’s swine flu death toll to 198 from April last year, director-general of the Disease Control Department Manit Theeratantikarn said.
The two flu victims were a 37-year-old woman in Chiang Mai and 82-year old man in Ayutthaya, Mr Manit said.
He said from Jan 11-15, altogether 15,011 people in 56 provinces had received swine flu shots. Of the total, 11,189 were health personnel, 1,971 pregnant women, 107 people with obesity, 84 disabled and 1,705 sickly patients.
Only eight of them were reported to have shown side effects from the vaccine injection.
Published: 20/01/2010 at 10:20 AM
Online news: Breakingnews
Two people died of the A(H1N1) flu virus last week, bringing the country’s swine flu death toll to 198 from April last year, director-general of the Disease Control Department Manit Theeratantikarn said.
The two flu victims were a 37-year-old woman in Chiang Mai and 82-year old man in Ayutthaya, Mr Manit said.
He said from Jan 11-15, altogether 15,011 people in 56 provinces had received swine flu shots. Of the total, 11,189 were health personnel, 1,971 pregnant women, 107 people with obesity, 84 disabled and 1,705 sickly patients.
Only eight of them were reported to have shown side effects from the vaccine injection.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Thu Jan 21, 2010 5:42 pm
China reports 27 more deaths from influenza A/H1N1
BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- A total of 27 Chinese died of the A/H1N1 influenza last week, bringing the death toll of the disease on the Chinese mainland over 730 people, the Health Ministry said Wednesday.
According to the ministry's weekly report, the country confirmed 1,556 cases of the flu from Jan. 11 to 17. Among them, 348 have been treated in hospital. Both figures are much smaller than those of the previous week.
From Jan. 4 to 10, 2,173 cases were reported, including 51 deaths.
However, the ministry warned that the A/H1N1 flu would continue to spread in the country in 2010.
Risks of mass infection of the influenza might increase due to the upcoming Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, in February when Chinese people, mostly migrant workers and students, would travel back home for family reunions, the ministry said.
The ministry urged local health authorities to strengthen monitoring and reporting of the A/H1N1 influenza, while making sound efforts to handle other possible public health emergencies.
According to the latest report, the disease had killed at least 737 people by Jan. 17.
As of Tuesday, more than 64.7 million Chinese people had been inoculated with the A/H1N1 flu vaccine.
BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- A total of 27 Chinese died of the A/H1N1 influenza last week, bringing the death toll of the disease on the Chinese mainland over 730 people, the Health Ministry said Wednesday.
According to the ministry's weekly report, the country confirmed 1,556 cases of the flu from Jan. 11 to 17. Among them, 348 have been treated in hospital. Both figures are much smaller than those of the previous week.
From Jan. 4 to 10, 2,173 cases were reported, including 51 deaths.
However, the ministry warned that the A/H1N1 flu would continue to spread in the country in 2010.
Risks of mass infection of the influenza might increase due to the upcoming Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, in February when Chinese people, mostly migrant workers and students, would travel back home for family reunions, the ministry said.
The ministry urged local health authorities to strengthen monitoring and reporting of the A/H1N1 influenza, while making sound efforts to handle other possible public health emergencies.
According to the latest report, the disease had killed at least 737 people by Jan. 17.
As of Tuesday, more than 64.7 million Chinese people had been inoculated with the A/H1N1 flu vaccine.
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
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- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by yankee-in-france » Thu Jan 21, 2010 6:16 pm
Eliza, did you see where someone was given insulin instead of the H1N1 vaccine in the US? Sorry, I meant to post it.
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yankee-in-france - YIF
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- Location: France
Thailand
by Eliza » Wed Jan 27, 2010 10:46 pm
30 doctors infected with Type-A H1N1 virus
As some 30 doctors nationwide were infected by Type A H1N1 influenza, Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit prepared to get the flu vaccine on Monday, as to encourage more at-risk people to get vaccinated.
Following the estimation of 30 doctors infected with the virus, Jurin told a press conference Thursday that he had instructed hospitals to beef up their flu patient screening measure, have all infected doctors rested at home until they fully recovered, and spray disinfectant at medical operation rooms.
The Nation
As some 30 doctors nationwide were infected by Type A H1N1 influenza, Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit prepared to get the flu vaccine on Monday, as to encourage more at-risk people to get vaccinated.
Following the estimation of 30 doctors infected with the virus, Jurin told a press conference Thursday that he had instructed hospitals to beef up their flu patient screening measure, have all infected doctors rested at home until they fully recovered, and spray disinfectant at medical operation rooms.
The Nation
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Eliza - Posts: 9702
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
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