WHO, DHS, CDC, FEMA, Napolitano, Sebelius

[yankee-in-france]

I think that they are right with granting immunity from products liability claims.

[Eliza]

I think that they are right with granting immunity from products liability claims.

Glad you saw this YIF. The thing that bothered me was that Sebelius signed these waivers a month ago and just now the information was made "public." Not very transparent from the administration that promised transparency.

They waited much too long to order the vaccine. Most countries had already ordered their vaccine before USA did and some pharmas are completely booked and can't take any more orders. Some companies procedures for manufacturing the vaccine aren't approved by FDA/USA which will even further limit availability for serum in the US.

I hope this administration doesn't attempt to manipulate the stats and prevent elderly, with complications, from being high on the priority list. I hope they don't make this political which I believe they will be prone to do like everything else.

[Eliza]

Swine flu could strike up to 40 percent in 2 years

7.24.09

By MIKE STOBBE (AP)

ATLANTA — U.S. health officials say 20 to 40 percent of Americans could become ill from swine flu over the next two years.

That estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is twice the number of people who usually get sick in a normal flu season. Officials said that projection would drop if a planned vaccine campaign and other measures are successful.

Based on the new projections, the number of swine flu deaths over two years could range from 90,000 to several hundred thousand, if efforts to stem the flu failed. The CDC said the estimates are based on a 1957 flu pandemic.

[Eliza]

U.S. deaths from A/H1N1 flu rise to 302, infections near 44,000

www.chinaview.cn 2009-07-25 03:04:02 Print

HOUSTON, July 24 (Xinhua) -- The A/H1N1 flu death toll in the United States has reached 302, while confirmed and probable infection cases rose to 43,771, according to the latest statistics released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday.

The CDC said that 39 more deaths have been reported in the past week, a 15-percent jump from the previous record of 263, and 3,154new cases have emerged, representing an 8-percent increase from the previous total of 40,617 released a week ago.

The state of New York continues to lead the nation with 63 deaths from the new flu virus, while the state of California follows closely with 55. Meanwhile, the state of Wisconsin has been leading the nation with 6,222 cases of A/H1N1 flu infections, followed by the state of Texas with 5,151.

However, those are "really just the tip of the iceberg," Dr. Anne Schuchat, a leading CDC expert said. She and other CDC experts believe that there might be more than one million Americans who have been infected with the A/H1N1 virus, though many probably had only a mild illness.

The reported numbers of A/H1N1 flu cases by the CDC do not reflect how many actual cases there may be in the United State because individuals in outpatient settings are no longer being tested for the presence of the virus and many cases go undetected due to the mild nature of disease among most people, the CDC officials and experts explained.

Laboratory testing is limited to individuals with serious A/H1N1 illness, including hospitalized patients, and those at high risk for complications, they added.

A survey conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health said last week that 59 percent Americans believe there will be widespread A/H1N1 flu cases in the coming fall or winter.

A quarter of Americans said they probably would lose their job or business if they had to stay home a week or more because they were sick or had to care for someone, according to the telephone survey of more than 1,800 U.S. adults, released a week ago.

The CDC officials and experts are urging people to be prepared for the pandemic declared by World Health Organization last month. They believe A/H1N1 flu is shaping up as a category 2 pandemic similar to the 1957 Asian flu outbreak.

[Eliza]

Sebelius carrying out the proud tradition of the Obama presidential policy of transparency.


CDC to stop counting A/H1N1 flu deaths

Friday, Jul 24, 2009 @10:58am CST

(Washington, DC) -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the new swine flu virus is so widespread that it is halting its official death count of the illness.

The federal health agency has officially confirmed nearly 44-thousand swine flu cases and just over 300 deaths in the U.S. since late April.

Health officials are now working with pharmaceutical companies to develop a vaccine for the virus that can be given alongside seasonal flu vaccine.

This new strain of swine flu reached the global pandemic level in less than two months, killing 800 people so far outside the U.S.

The World Health Organization reports people in 160 countries have contracted the illness.

[Eliza]

WHO: A/H1N1 flu spreads to most remote parts of the world

www.chinaview.cn 2009-07-28 11:20:22 Print

BEIJING, July 28 (Xinhuanet) -- According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) figures, the A/H1N1 influenza has spread to the most remote parts of the world including Pacific, Caribbean and Indian Ocean islands.
More than 20 countries and overseas territories have had their first lab-confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases, according to the snapshot published by the WHO on Monday.

These countries and territories include holiday destinations such as the Seychelles, Turks and Caicos, St. Kitts and Nevis, Netherlands Antilles, Belize and France's Reunion Island, as well as isolated spots such as Tonga and American Samoa in the Pacific and the Solomon Islands in the Indian Ocean.

Afghanistan and Sudan have also had their first confirmed infections in recent days.

The A/H1N1 flu has caused a total of 816 deaths worldwide, according to the WHO's latest tally on Monday.

But the total number of people infected with H1N1 flu is not known, as countries are no longer required to test and report individual cases.

[Eliza]

US panel to set priorities for H1N1 flu vaccines

Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:53pm EDT
* Committee to look at various options for vaccination

* Recommendations may include different scenarios

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON, July 28 (Reuters) - Vaccine experts who advise the U.S. government are likely on Wednesday to put healthcare workers, pregnant women and patients with asthma and diabetes at the front of the line to get vaccinated against the new pandemic H1N1 influenza.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices may also at its meeting examine ways to manage a complicated U.S. flu season, with people getting seasonal influenza immunizations alongside swine flu vaccines.

"I think at the end of the day we'll have a firm idea who will be recommended to receive vaccine against novel H1N1," Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in a telephone interview.

"We might expect to see various sets of recommendations that take into account a certain number of doses being available at any give time during our flu season."

H1N1 swine flu is now so widespread that the World Health Organization has stopped counting individual cases. Health experts are afraid it could worsen, especially when the Northern Hemisphere's influenza season starts in the autumn.

The U.S. government has contracted for 195 million doses of H1N1 flu vaccine for a possible autumn vaccination campaign. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said earlier this month the government would foot the bill.

HHS has also contracted for 120 million doses of adjuvant, a compound to stretch the number of doses of vaccine needed, and the ACIP, which advises the CDC and HHS on vaccine policy, may discuss various options for using the adjuvants.

Five companies are making H1N1 vaccine for the U.S. market -- AstraZeneca's (AZN.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) MedImmune unit, Australia's CSL Ltd (CSL.AX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK.L: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Novartis AG (NOVN.VX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Sanofi-Aventis SA (SASY.PA: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).

It is not clear how much vaccine is going to be available. Flu vaccines are made using an old-fashioned method -- inoculating eggs with the virus, letting it grow, and then purifying and inactivating it to make the vaccine.

UNCERTAIN SUPPLY

Some companies have reported this particular virus does not grow well in eggs, limiting the yield. MedImmune says it does not have this problem, but it has only 40 million of the sprayers used to deliver its live vaccine into the nose.

Most experts agree that people are likely to need two doses of H1N1 vaccine to get full immunity, because very few have been exposed to the virus. Some studies have suggested that people over 50 may have some limited immunity.

Other studies have shown the vaccinating schoolchildren may be a good way to try to control the spread of the virus. Seasonal flu usually hits the very old, the very young and people with chronic diseases the hardest.

H1N1 not only hits those with chronic diseases particularly hard but also, unusually, young adults and older schoolchildren. Schools are breeding grounds for respiratory disease in general, and students bring these infections home to others who may be vulnerable.

Vaccine makers and academic centers are racing to test H1N1 vaccines in volunteers and in various doses to see what is safe and what dose is likely to best protect people. Some European countries have also suggested they may start vaccination campaigns before full results are available from these trials. (Editing by Paul Simao)

[Eliza]

Ex-CDC chief joins ABC News

By SHELIA M. POOLE


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Updated 2:30 p.m.

Dr. Richard Besser, former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will join ABC News as its senior health and medical editor.

Besser led the Atlanta-based agency during the spring outbreak of H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu. He is currently director of the Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response.

“This represents a pretty big career move for me,” said Besser, who joined the CDC in 1991. “But, as I explored it, I believed this was a way that I could still have an impact on public health.”

In his new role, Besser said he is interested in tackling major issues such as obesity, health disparities and HIV. During the fall, he also will focus on efforts to combat swine flu, which health officials expect to be more virulent than before.

Besser said ABC approached him about joining its expanding medical team after he made several national media appearances during the flu outbreak. He said he had considered other possibilities, “but this is the one that will allow me to move forward in my career and have the most impact.”

He joins the ABC News medical team headed by Dr. Timothy Johnson, who becomes the chief medical editor.

In an announcement to CDC employees, Director Thomas Frieden praised Besser’s work at the agency.

Besser “drew on his many varied experiences when leading COTPER and CDC during events from Hurricane Katrina to the current H1N1 outbreak,” the memo said. “... Rich also has been improving the science behind preparedness work — ensuring that our practice is informed by science. Not content to address current public health emergencies, he also concentrated on building infrastructure at the state and local levels for better effectiveness in emergencies.”

Dr. Daniel Sosin will serve as acting director of the Coordinating Office of Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response.

[Eliza]

CDC anticipates H1N1 pandemic

UPI

Published: Aug. 2, 2009 at 8:24 PM

U.S. public health experts indicated Sunday the H1N1 flu will make a strong return, possibly as soon as the end of August.

Drug makers will begin this week testing two potential vaccines against an anticipated H1N1 pandemic but vaccinations are not expected to be available until mid-October, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Sunday.

The most at-risk segment of the population -- pregnant women, those with chronic diseases, healthcare and emergency medical workers, and children -- will be the first recipients, the Centers for Disease Control indicated.

Public health experts say people might be asked to stay away from crowded areas for up to four months to keep spread of H1N1 to a minimum. Dr. Bruce Lee, a University of Pittsburgh infectious diseases expert, said such "social distancing" measures can help to lessen the epidemic.

"Pay very close attention to what the CDC and what other public health officials are saying and take it seriously," he said.

Some federal government estimates indicate up to 40 percent of the population could get swine flu in the next two years.

[Eliza]

Homeland security chief: Flu will get jump on vaccine

By Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Tuesday that pandemic flu probably will flare up soon after schools open in the fall, before vaccine is available.
Napolitano also acknowledged that there would not be enough pandemic flu vaccine for everyone, at least in the early stages of the flu season. "There will be prioritization of vaccinations," she told members of the USA TODAY editorial board.


The flu strain causing the pandemic, a new H1N1 virus also known as swine flu, is especially dangerous because it differs from every other known flu virus. As a result, most people are defenseless against it. That makes a vaccine the keystone of any effort to prevent illness and save lives. The first batches of the vaccine are due in mid-October.

Napolitano said this year's flu season probably will be severe but not as severe as the 1918 pandemic, the world's worst. In 1918, flu killed at least 675,000 people in the USA and up to 50 million worldwide. She said it's more likely that the pandemic would mirror 1957, when flu killed about 70,000 people in the USA and 1 million to 2 million people worldwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


William Schaffner, a flu expert at Vanderbilt University, cautions that "flu is fickle" and there's no way to predict precisely how the coming flu season will unfold. One difference between swine flu and the 1957 version is that the new virus strikes a higher proportion of children and young people than the elderly. "If that holds, the group most vulnerable to the complications of influenza will continue to be spared," Schaffner says. "But H1N1 has a tremendous capacity to make children and young adults very sick."

Last week, a panel of experts advised the CDC that the first vaccinations should go to pregnant women; parents and contacts of children younger than 6 months; health care workers; all children and young adults; and all non-elderly adults with chronic medical conditions. The government recommends vaccinations for seasonal and swine flu.

(snipped)

[Eliza]

WHO says swine flu deaths surge to 1,154



(AP)-

GENEVA — The World Health Organization says 338 people have died from swine flu in the last week.

The H1N1 virus is now responsible for a total of at least 1,154 deaths since it emerged in Mexico and the United States in April and later developed into a global epidemic. Most of the deaths are in the Western Hemisphere.

WHO said Tuesday that laboratory confirmed cases of the disease have now reached 162,380. It says this number is likely a low estimate because hard-hit countries are no longer testing all the people with flu symptoms.

WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said "nobody knows" how many people are infected in the 168 countries and territories with cases.

[Eliza]

Renewal of Determination that a Public Health Emergency Exists
As a consequence of confirmed cases of 2009 – H1N1 influenza throughout the United States, and after consultation with public health officials as necessary, I, Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, pursuant to the authority vested in me under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C § 247d , do hereby renew the April 26, 2009 determination by then Acting Secretary Charles E. Johnson that a public health emergency exists nationwide involving Swine Influenza A (now called 2009 – H1N1 flu) that affects or has significant potential to affect national security.

July 24, 2009

[Eliza]

WHO recommends Tamiflu in 'severe' swine flu treatment

(AFP) –

8-12-09

GENEVA — The UN health agency on Wednesday stood by its advice on swine flu treatment with the antiviral drug Tamiflu in "severe and progressive" infections, despite a study which warned against use by children.

"WHO continues to recommend use of antivirals as treatment for people who are severely ill or are at risk of other health complications," the World Health Organisation said in a response to questions about the recent study.

However, it also stressed that the antiviral, made by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche, should not be taken by those showing just mild flu-like symptoms.

The study published Monday in the British Medical Journal said that children with seasonal flu should not be given Tamiflu because harmful side effects may outweigh relatively meagre benefits.

The study did not cover the current outbreak of swine flu.

But it suggested that antivirals may not significantly reduce the length of illness or prevent complications in children infected with the new A(H1N1) virus, the researchers said.

The WHO said it was "aware" of the study but stressed that it was on seasonal flu and not A(H1N1).

The organisation said Tuesday that some 1,462 people around the world had died from the swine flu virus since it first emerged in April.

[Eliza]

8/13/09 4:22 PM

Luanda
African countries warned about H1N1 flu
Luanda – The World Health Organisation (WHO) director for Africa, Luís Gomes Sambo, on Tuesday urged African countries to make an effort to stop pandemic A H1N1 flu that has already infected 1,411 people, claiming two lives in 16 countries.


Luís Gomes Sambo made the appeal at the opening of the African Conference on Pandemic influenza A H1N1 2009 taking place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 11 to 13 August, with the participation of over 230 representatives of African countries and the world.


Among participants are public health experts, doctors, pharmaceutical experts, laboratory workers, civil protection members, communication and social mobilization workers and international partners. Angola is represented by the deputy Health minister, Carlos Masseca.


"WHO, said Luís Gomes Sambo, is doing all efforts to reduce the pandemic effects; reinforce sickness surveillance and to implement international sanitation rule, among others".


The regional director for Africa of the World Health Organization (WHO) explained that these four issues include awareness works within the community, adoption of individual protections way, and among other, world solidarity. "No country can fight alone and the best solution is being prepared and capable to face this illness", said Sambo.

[Eliza]

Gov't recommends child care plan if swine flu hits

(AP) –

WASHINGTON — The government is urging parents to have a backup plan for caring for their kids in case they are hit by swine flu once the new school year begins.

Swine flu is expected to hit hard this fall, and a vaccine won't be ready until October.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says parents need to consider alternative strategies for caring for kids who are sick with swine flu.

School officials are already taking preparations to minimize the spread of the flu at schools. One strategy is frequent hand washing. Sebelius endorses the idea that kids should wash their hands for as long as it takes them to sing "Happy Birthday to You" to themselves.

Sebelius spoke Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

[Eliza]

WHO top official cautions on more A/H1N1 flu cases in Africa

ENTEBBE, Uganda, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Margaret Chan warned here on Wednesday of more A/H1N1 flu cases in Africa in the near future than currently reported.

Chan told reporters at the Entebbe International airport, 40 km south of the Ugandan capital of Kampala that some experts have doubted the capacity of some African laboratories in detecting the disease and some patients may spread the disease but recover without medication.

"You may see a smaller number of cases here but it should not come as a surprise that you will see more cases in weeks or months ahead," she said when starting a three-day working visit here after a trip to Tanzania.

She is in the country with Raymond Chambers, UN secretary general's special envoy for malaria and Tadataka Yamada, president of the Global Health Program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to review Uganda's successes and challenges in fighting malaria.

Chan hailed Uganda for putting up effective pandemic containing system, which had been tested by previous outbreaks of Ebola, Marburg and meningitis.

Uganda has so far reported nine cases of A/H1N1 flu, of which five were imported cases, since the first case was confirmed in early July. No death resulting from the epidemic was yet reported in the country.

The WHO top official also urged communities to have good personal hygiene as pharmaceutical interventions like antiviral drugs and possibly a vaccine are being pursued.

The A/H1N1 flu is transmitted through the air as a result of sneezing, coughing or touching contaminated materials or surfaces. The symptoms of the disease include sudden on-set of fever, sore throat, cough and flu. They occur within three to seven days after contact with an infected person.

In Africa, cases have been reported in countries like Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, among others.

[Eliza]

WHO Warns of ‘Second or Third’ Wave of Swine Flu Cases, AFP Says

By Mike Harrison

Aug. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Governments around the world need to prepare for a likely second wave of swine flu cases, Agence France-Presse said, citing World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan.

“We cannot say for certain whether the worst is over or the worst is yet to come,” the news agency cited Chan as saying at the start of a three-day conference on influenza in the Asia- Pacific region. “We also need to prepare for a second or even a third wave of spread as typically seen in past pandemics.”

Last Updated: August 21, 2009 01:31 EDT

[Eliza]

'Explosion' of H1N1 cases awaits the world: WHO


by Priya Markanda - August 21, 2009


Beijing, August 21: Swine flu is in no mood to relent, at least not in the coming days. The World Health Organization, in a conference at Beijing Friday, said that the global spread of the H1N1 influenza will endanger more lives in the coming months with the way it is spreading.

WHO warned the governments to boost the preparations for a swift response in order to curb the dreaded influenza.

WHO's Western Pacific director, Shin Young-Soo, said that day is not far when the world will witness an outburst of the H1N1 virus.

"At a certain point, there will seem to be an explosion in case numbers," said Shin in a conference of health officials and experts in Beijing. "It is certain there will be more cases and more deaths."

Pandemic a growing global concern
Earlier in the month of June, WHO declared the swine flu influenza as pandemic. Till date, the virus has sniffed lives of up to 1,800 people across the globe.

Health authorities world-wide have now focused on how the A(H1N1) virus is progressing in the southern hemisphere countries, including Australia, which are experiencing winter as well as a flu season.

Shin continued to say that it is in the developing countries where increased spread of the disease poses the greatest threat as it places the under-equipped and under-funded health systems under a severe strain.

WHO has appealed to the governments to act quickly on educating the masses, preparing their own health systems to care for severe cases, and protecting the more vulnerable people in order to prevent unnecessary deaths.

"We only have a short time period to reach the state of preparedness deemed necessary. Communities must be aware before a pandemic strikes as to what they can do to reduce the spread of the virus, and how to obtain early treatment of severe cases," said Shin.

Pregnant women among swine flu susceptible people
WHO chief Margaret Chan warned the masses in a video address that pregnant women face a higher risk of the complications by the flu virus. Also, people with underlying medical conditions such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders, have more severe effects of A(H1N1) influenza.

Earlier, WHO had estimated that around 2 billion people around the world, calculating to almost a third of the world's population, could be infected by the dreaded virus over the next two years.

Health officials along with drug makers are busy trying to produce H1N1 vaccines before the northern hemisphere enter its flu season. Estimates for their availability range from September to December this year.

Last edited by Harpreet Bhagrath on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 11:30 | Write to author: Priya Markanda |

[Eliza]

Flu still spreading in US CDC says

Fri Aug 21, 2009 4:28pm EDT


By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Clinical trials for the new swine flu vaccine have turned up no red flags, U.S. health officials said on Friday.

First results from studies of the new vaccines in adults and the elderly will be available in mid-September, but so far, the only complaints seem to be a bit of local soreness and redness in the arm at the injection site, they said.

"There are no red flags regarding safety," said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, one of the National Institutes of Health.

Fauci said no side effects were seen 10 to 14 days after the first studies in adults, giving officials the confidence to start trials of the vaccines in children this week.

Two trials are under way in adults for the safety and effectiveness of two doses of the vaccine. The trials, which are also looking at whether one or two vaccinations will be needed, are nearly fully enrolled.

"We expect first dose data somewhere around mid-September if all goes well, and second dose data by mid-October," Fauci said in a telephone news briefing.

Fauci said studies in pregnant women should begin in September, as will studies using an immune system booster called an adjuvant. In all, the vaccines will be tested on nearly 4,600 people.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said swine flu is still spreading widely across the United States, with 75 percent of serious cases and 60 percent of deaths among people under the age of 49. Alaska and Maine had "widespread" activity.

MORE THAN A MILLION CASES

CDC has confirmed 7,963 hospitalizations and 522 deaths from the pandemic H1N1 flu, said CDC's Dr. Jay Butler. He said there were likely more than a million actual cases, as most patients never get tested.

"It is important to remember that at this time of year we don't normally have influenza," Butler said.

He said the government expected to have 45 million to 52 million swine flu vaccine doses by mid October, when vaccination is expected to begin, and 195 million by the end of the year.

Fauci said even after people are vaccinated they should be aware they are not immediately protected -- the immune response from a vaccine takes about two weeks to develop.

Five companies are making both seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines for the U.S. market -- AstraZeneca's MedImmune unit, CSL, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Novartis AG and Sanofi-Aventis SA. Shares of all companies were up slightly in mid-afternoon trading on various exchanges.

Sanofi said on Friday it expects to deliver a bulk supply of H1N1 vaccine to the United States in October. The number of doses will depend on the vaccine's formula, which will be determined in October once clinical trial results are in.

Health officials said they expect an upsurge of flu cases in the autumn, as weather cools and students return to school. U.S. government officials have urged schools and businesses to encourage people to stay home when they are sick, to wash their hands frequently and keep workspaces clean.

"We can't stop the tide of flu any more than we can turn a hurricane in its course or stop the earth shaking during an earthquake, but we can mitigate the effects and help prevent people from becoming severely ill," Butler said.

(Editing by Phil Stewart)

[Eliza]

PRESS RELEASES
Duncan, Sebelius Unveil Recommendations for Schools on How Learning Continues in Case of Flu Outbreak

FOR RELEASE:
August 24, 2009 Contact: HHS (202) 690-6343
ED (202) 401-1576


Today, Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, District of Columbia Mayor Adrian Fenty and District of Columbia Chancellor of Public Schools Michelle Rhee joined with officials from Google, Apple, Microsoft, Scholastic Inc., Pearson, Curriki, and the International Association for Online Learning to announce new recommendations on the continuity of learning in the event of students absences or school closures due to seasonal or novel H1N1 flu.

The recommendations crafted by the Department of Education are designed to help education stakeholders start planning and acting now for the impact that seasonal and 2009 H1N1 influenza could have this fall and winter on schools and the learning process.

Government officials are especially concerned about the impact of H1N1 in schools because the virus appears to spread quickly among younger Americans. The Centers for Disease Control’s DC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently found that younger Americans, specifically children ages 6 months to 24 years, are one of the top priority groups when it comes to the new H1N1 vaccine.

“We can all work to keep ourselves healthy now by practicing prevention, close monitoring and using common sense,” Secretary Duncan said. ”We know that some students may be affected by H1N1. And our top priority is making sure that they have a way to get well, stay well and to keep learning. With these recommendations, we’re providing a menu of strategies for educators to help ensure that the learning process will continue.”

“One important reason we are all here today is the Department of Education’s Continuation of Learning guidance,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Everyone’s goal should be to keep children healthy and in school. But if they get sick -- and some will -- we have to make sure that they don’t fall behind.”

The recommendations suggest that educators prepare take-home assignments in advance for distribution to affected students and use the Internet and telephones to post homework materials, conduct classes, share information and keep teachers, parents and students in close touch.

The department is working Google, Apple, Microsoft, Scholastic Inc., Pearson, Curriki, the International Association for Online Learning and other private sector partners, and service providers to make continuity of learning resources like pre-printed lesson plans, conference call services, webinar support, podcasting, and virtual classrooms more affordable and accessible for educators.

For the complete H1N1 Continuity of Learning Guidance, please visit www.ed.gov/h1n1flu

[Eliza]

Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine Safety Monitoring: CDC Planning Recommendations for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Health Officials
August 21, 2009, 1:00 PM ET

Vaccine Safety Monitoring
Vaccines to protect against the pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza virus are being developed. These influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccines (2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccines) and are anticipated to become available in the fall of 2009. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has made recommendations regarding who should receive the 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccine when it becomes available, including priorities for use of initial doses of vaccine. Coordination and communication for vaccine safety related activities at all levels are critical for a mass 2009 monovalent H1N1 vaccination campaign. Vaccine safety monitoring is a shared responsibility among the federal government, state and local health departments, vaccine manufacturers, healthcare providers, and other partners. This planning guidance addresses key components of the vaccine safety monitoring plan for 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccines and presents suggested roles for state, local, tribal and territorial health officials involved in this monitoring. This guidance will be updated as more information about the 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccination program becomes available.

[Eliza]

A/H1N1 flu spreads at "unbelievable" speed: WHO

www.chinaview.cn 2009-08-29 23:54:52 Print

PARIS, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- A/H1N1 flu is spreading at an "unbelievable" speed, with "a very severe form of disease" attacking the lungs of healthy young people, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned in an interview published by French daily Le Monde on Saturday.

"Sixty percent of the deaths cover those who have underlying health problems," Director-general of the WHO Margaret Chan said, adding that the remaining 40 percent of the deaths are young adults in good health, "who die of a vital fever in five to seven days."
"This is the most worrying fact. Up to 30 percent of people in densely populated countries risked getting infected," Chan noted.

The WHO announced in a statement that the A/H1N1 pandemic virus is now the dominant influenza strain around the world.

"All governments must prepare for the worst," Chan stressed, adding that intensive healthcare services were required.

According to the latest WHO report, more than 2,180 people around the world have died from the virus since April.

[Eliza]

Swine flu death toll surpasses 2,100: WHO

(AFP)

8/29/09

GENEVA — At least 2,185 people have died in the swine flu pandemic since the new virus was uncovered in April, the World Health Organisation said Friday.

The latest toll posted on the WHO's website was an increase from the 1,799 deaths posted over a week ago.

Most deaths were recorded in the Americas region, where 1,876 people have died from their influenza A(H1N1) infection.

In Asia-Pacific, 203 deaths were recorded. This was followed by Europe, with at least 85 deaths recorded.

Middle East recorded 10 deaths, while Africa posted 11 deaths.

Cameroon, Madagascar and Mozambique also recorded their first influenza A(H1N1) cases since the last update.

In all 209,438 laboratory confirmed swine flu infections have been reported to the global health watchdog.

However, the WHO says that figure vastly understates the full number of infections since individual cases no longer have to be tested or reported in each country.

[Eliza]

A/H1N1 flu spreads at "unbelievable" speed: WHO

www.chinaview.cn 2009-08-29 23:54:52 Print

PARIS, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- A/H1N1 flu is spreading at an "unbelievable" speed, with "a very severe form of disease" attacking the lungs of healthy young people, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned in an interview published by French daily Le Monde on Saturday.

"Sixty percent of the deaths cover those who have underlying health problems," Director-general of the WHO Margaret Chan said, adding that the remaining 40 percent of the deaths are young adults in good health, "who die of a vital fever in five to seven days."

"This is the most worrying fact. Up to 30 percent of people in densely populated countries risked getting infected," Chan noted.

The WHO announced in a statement that the A/H1N1 pandemic virus is now the dominant influenza strain around the world.

"All governments must prepare for the worst," Chan stressed, adding that intensive healthcare services were required.

According to the latest WHO report, more than 2,180 people around the world have died from the virus since April.

[Eliza]

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WHO says irrational Tamiflu use may make H1N1 virus resistant


30 Aug 2009, 1030 hrs IST, PTI

NEW DELHI: Irrational use of swine flu drug can make the H1N1 virus resistant to the medicine making it fatal as the Tamiflu loses its efficiency,
the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned.

The global health body has cautioned India as habit of pill-popping or not completing the course of medicine as suggested by the physician are quite common in the country.

The WHO, in its warning, has said that already 12 countries, including China and Singapore, have reported cases of resistance to Tamiflu.

"The ability to constantly change is a hallmark of influenza viruses. Flu virus often change from one season to the next or they can even change within the course of one flu season. Some changes can result in the virus being resistant to one or more of the antiviral drugs that are used to treat or prevent influenza," experts from Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and WHO said.

"Irrational use of antiviral drugs could facilitate the emergence of resistance," they added.

Explaining the phenomenon Dr Y K Gupta, head of the department of pharmacology, AIIMS said, "Resistance can be because the virus kills the drug or it learns to to live with that drug or develops multiple resistance organism to it."

Influenza viruses can constantly change as the virus makes copies of itself or replicates in a patient.