Ask your Doc(GP) if a Pneumonia shot is in order for you or your loved ones. I'm not sure if it will help but I STRONGLY believe it could! 36,000 people die in the US and 500,000 anually world wide from secondary or primary pneumonia NOT the flu. Get your flu shots AND a pneumonia shot if you are at risk because you are weak physically. Flu shots are a grat bargain. In my opinion, the A/H1N1 shot will cost $190 to produce and providers and clinics may only charge $25. -Eliza
FLU SUFFERERS PRONE TO BACTERIAL INFECTIONS LIKE PNEUMONIA
PHILADELPHIA, June 15 (UPI) -- Flu sufferers, especially children, are at risk of potentially deadly bacterial infections, a top doctor at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia says.
The outbreak of H1N1 virus, or swine flu, means the medical community and the public need to remain alert to secondary infections, particularly strep pneumoniae, said Dr. Kathleen Sullivan, chief of allergy and immunology at Children's Hospital.
Many children who die from flu complications have a virus that paralyzes the part of their immune system designed to protect them against bacterial invaders, said Sullivan's study, reported this month in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.
The study echoes reports showing that up to 95 percent of the nearly 50 million victims of the 1918 flu pandemic died from secondary bacterial pneumonia, which invaded people weakened by the flu virus, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday.
Bacterial pneumonia remains a major threat today, despite antibiotics, doctors told the Post-Gazette.
News of extreme importance!
Moderators: yankee-in-france, Fashionista
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News of extreme importance!
by Eliza » Mon Jun 15, 2009 2:14 pm
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Mon Jun 15, 2009 3:44 pm
- FDA NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: June 15, 2009
Media Inquiries: Christopher Kelly, 301-796-4676, christopher.kelly@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
FDA Warns Web Sites against Marketing Fraudulent H1N1 Flu Virus Claims
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is enforcing the laws that protect consumers from illegal products marketed through the Internet that claim to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat or cure the 2009 H1N1 flu virus.
On May 1, 2009, the FDA warned consumers regarding products related to the 2009 H1N1 flu virus offered on the Internet. The products involved are those that are promoted and marketed to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat, or cure the 2009 H1N1 flu virus but are not approved, cleared, or authorized by the FDA. The agency advised operators of offending Web sites that they must take immediate action to ensure that they are not marketing products intended to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat, or cure the 2009 H1N1 flu virus that have not been cleared, approved, or authorized by the FDA.
Since then, the FDA has issued more than 50 warning letters to offending Web sites and as a result, more than 66 percent of these Web sites have removed the offending claims and/or products.
“We are committed to aggressively pursuing those who attempt to take advantage of a public health emergency by promoting and marketing unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products,” said Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs. “We have achieved some success and will remain vigilant in our efforts to protect consumers from these fraudulent, potentially dangerous products.”
Examples of unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products targeted by the FDA include:
--A shampoo that claimed to protect against the H1N1 flu virus;
--A dietary supplement that claimed to protect infants and young children from contracting the H1N1 flu virus;
--A “new” supplement that claimed to cure H1N1 flu infection within four to eight hours;
--A spray that claimed to leave a layer of ionic silver on one’s hands that killed the virus;
--Several tests that have not been approved to detect the H1N1 flu virus; and
--An electronic instrument costing thousands of dollars that claimed to utilize “photobiotic energy” and “deeply penetrating mega-frequency life-force energy waves” to strengthen the immune system and prevent symptoms associated with H1N1 viral infection.
The FDA’s warning letters are consistent with an aggressive strategy the agency put into place to protect consumers from individuals or businesses that promote fraudulent claims for products in an attempt to take advantage of the public’s concerns about the 2009 H1N1 flu virus.
Unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products that claim to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat or cure the 2009 H1N1 flu are illegal and a potentially significant threat to the public health.
These warning letters were the result of daily Internet surfs conducted by the FDA’s Office of Enforcement, Office of Criminal Investigations, and staff from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. The warning letters issued by e-mail and the FDA requested a response within 48 hours.
In addition, the FDA posted the offending Web sites and products on the agency’s Web site.
“Taking swift action to inform unsuspecting consumers about products that could be dangerous to their health is a major priority for the FDA,” said Hamburg.
The FDA will consider further civil or criminal enforcement action against those Web sites that fail to resolve the violations cited in warning letters. Actions could include seizure, injunction, and criminal prosecution.
For more information:
FDA’s Fraudulent H1N1 Flu Virus Product List
Browse Warning Letters for: Unapproved/Uncleared/Unauthorized Products Related to the H1N1 Flu Virus
Report Suspected Fraudulent Products or Criminal Activity Associated with H1N1 Flu Virus (Swine Flu)
For Immediate Release: June 15, 2009
Media Inquiries: Christopher Kelly, 301-796-4676, christopher.kelly@fda.hhs.gov
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
FDA Warns Web Sites against Marketing Fraudulent H1N1 Flu Virus Claims
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is enforcing the laws that protect consumers from illegal products marketed through the Internet that claim to diagnose, prevent, mitigate, treat or cure the 2009 H1N1 flu virus.
On May 1, 2009, the FDA warned consumers regarding products related to the 2009 H1N1 flu virus offered on the Internet. The products involved are those that are promoted and marketed to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat, or cure the 2009 H1N1 flu virus but are not approved, cleared, or authorized by the FDA. The agency advised operators of offending Web sites that they must take immediate action to ensure that they are not marketing products intended to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat, or cure the 2009 H1N1 flu virus that have not been cleared, approved, or authorized by the FDA.
Since then, the FDA has issued more than 50 warning letters to offending Web sites and as a result, more than 66 percent of these Web sites have removed the offending claims and/or products.
“We are committed to aggressively pursuing those who attempt to take advantage of a public health emergency by promoting and marketing unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products,” said Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs. “We have achieved some success and will remain vigilant in our efforts to protect consumers from these fraudulent, potentially dangerous products.”
Examples of unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products targeted by the FDA include:
--A shampoo that claimed to protect against the H1N1 flu virus;
--A dietary supplement that claimed to protect infants and young children from contracting the H1N1 flu virus;
--A “new” supplement that claimed to cure H1N1 flu infection within four to eight hours;
--A spray that claimed to leave a layer of ionic silver on one’s hands that killed the virus;
--Several tests that have not been approved to detect the H1N1 flu virus; and
--An electronic instrument costing thousands of dollars that claimed to utilize “photobiotic energy” and “deeply penetrating mega-frequency life-force energy waves” to strengthen the immune system and prevent symptoms associated with H1N1 viral infection.
The FDA’s warning letters are consistent with an aggressive strategy the agency put into place to protect consumers from individuals or businesses that promote fraudulent claims for products in an attempt to take advantage of the public’s concerns about the 2009 H1N1 flu virus.
Unapproved, uncleared, or unauthorized products that claim to diagnose, mitigate, prevent, treat or cure the 2009 H1N1 flu are illegal and a potentially significant threat to the public health.
These warning letters were the result of daily Internet surfs conducted by the FDA’s Office of Enforcement, Office of Criminal Investigations, and staff from the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, and the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. The warning letters issued by e-mail and the FDA requested a response within 48 hours.
In addition, the FDA posted the offending Web sites and products on the agency’s Web site.
“Taking swift action to inform unsuspecting consumers about products that could be dangerous to their health is a major priority for the FDA,” said Hamburg.
The FDA will consider further civil or criminal enforcement action against those Web sites that fail to resolve the violations cited in warning letters. Actions could include seizure, injunction, and criminal prosecution.
For more information:
FDA’s Fraudulent H1N1 Flu Virus Product List
Browse Warning Letters for: Unapproved/Uncleared/Unauthorized Products Related to the H1N1 Flu Virus
Report Suspected Fraudulent Products or Criminal Activity Associated with H1N1 Flu Virus (Swine Flu)
-
Eliza - Posts: 9703
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Thu Jun 18, 2009 7:25 pm
UPDATE 1-'Something different" happening with new flu - CDC
Thu Jun 18, 2009 5:41pm EDT
*Up to 7 percent of population sick in heavily hit areas
*Flu season could last all year this year in US
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) - The new strain of H1N1 flu is causing "something different" to happen in the United States this year -- perhaps an extended year-round flu season that disproportionately hits young people, health officials said on Thursday.
An unusually cool late spring may be helping keep the infection going in the U.S. Northeast, especially densely populated areas in New York and Massachusetts, the officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. (The infection was running rampant in Mexico. It isn't cool there ever. )
And infections among healthcare workers suggest that people are showing up at work sick -- meaning that workplace policies may be contributing to its spread, the CDC officials said.(CDC told folks not to panic. It's mild.)
The new strain of swine flu is officially a pandemic now, according to the World Health Organization.
So far the virus is causing mild to moderate disease, but it has killed at least 167 people and been confirmed in nearly 40,000 globally.
The United States has been hardest hit, with upward of 100,000 likely cases and probably far more, with 44 deaths and 1,600 hospitalized.
"The fact that we are seeing ongoing transmission now indicates that we are seeing something different," the CDC's Dr. Daniel Jernigan told a news briefing.
"And we believe that that may have to do with the complete lack of immunity to this particular virus among those that are most likely affected. And those are children," Jernigan added. (And folks physically weak)
"The areas of the country that are most affected, some of them have very high population densities, like Boston and New York. So that may be a contributor as well. Plus the temperature in that part of the country is cooler, and we know that influenza appears to like the cooler times of the year for making transmission for effective." (color=red](The flu started in Mexico...No winter there. This statement takes credibility away from the speaker-Eliza)[/color]
Jernigan said in areas that are the most affected up to 7 percent of the population has influenza-like illness.
SUMMER OF FLU
"The United States will likely continue to see influenza activity through the summer, and at this point we're anticipating that we will see the novel H1N1 continue with activity probably all the way into our flu season in the fall and winter. The amount of activity we expect to be low, and then pick up later."
One worrying pattern: healthcare workers are being infected, and most reported they did little or nothing to protect themselves, the CDC's Dr. Mike Bell said.
People coming into emergency departments or clinics need to be checked right away for flu symptoms and anyone working with such a patient needs to wear a mask, gloves and eyewear, Bell said.
"We're beginning to see a pattern of healthcare personnel-to-healthcare personnel transmission in some of the clusters, which is also concerning, because it gets to the issue of people showing up to work sick," Bell said (from the beginning, there was a concern that this would happen and the USA should have implemented it's pandemic plan)
Doctors, nurses and technicians who have flu can spread it to vulnerable patients, Bell noted.
As of May 13, the CDC said it had received 48 reports of healthcare workers infected with swine flu.
Detailed case reports on 26 showed that 13 were infected in a healthcare setting such as a clinic or hospital and 12 caught it from infected patients, the CDC said in its weekly report on death and disease.
(Additional reporting by Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago, editing by Philip Barbara)
Thu Jun 18, 2009 5:41pm EDT
*Up to 7 percent of population sick in heavily hit areas
*Flu season could last all year this year in US
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) - The new strain of H1N1 flu is causing "something different" to happen in the United States this year -- perhaps an extended year-round flu season that disproportionately hits young people, health officials said on Thursday.
An unusually cool late spring may be helping keep the infection going in the U.S. Northeast, especially densely populated areas in New York and Massachusetts, the officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. (The infection was running rampant in Mexico. It isn't cool there ever. )
And infections among healthcare workers suggest that people are showing up at work sick -- meaning that workplace policies may be contributing to its spread, the CDC officials said.(CDC told folks not to panic. It's mild.)
The new strain of swine flu is officially a pandemic now, according to the World Health Organization.
So far the virus is causing mild to moderate disease, but it has killed at least 167 people and been confirmed in nearly 40,000 globally.
The United States has been hardest hit, with upward of 100,000 likely cases and probably far more, with 44 deaths and 1,600 hospitalized.
"The fact that we are seeing ongoing transmission now indicates that we are seeing something different," the CDC's Dr. Daniel Jernigan told a news briefing.
"And we believe that that may have to do with the complete lack of immunity to this particular virus among those that are most likely affected. And those are children," Jernigan added. (And folks physically weak)
"The areas of the country that are most affected, some of them have very high population densities, like Boston and New York. So that may be a contributor as well. Plus the temperature in that part of the country is cooler, and we know that influenza appears to like the cooler times of the year for making transmission for effective." (color=red](The flu started in Mexico...No winter there. This statement takes credibility away from the speaker-Eliza)[/color]
Jernigan said in areas that are the most affected up to 7 percent of the population has influenza-like illness.
SUMMER OF FLU
"The United States will likely continue to see influenza activity through the summer, and at this point we're anticipating that we will see the novel H1N1 continue with activity probably all the way into our flu season in the fall and winter. The amount of activity we expect to be low, and then pick up later."
One worrying pattern: healthcare workers are being infected, and most reported they did little or nothing to protect themselves, the CDC's Dr. Mike Bell said.
People coming into emergency departments or clinics need to be checked right away for flu symptoms and anyone working with such a patient needs to wear a mask, gloves and eyewear, Bell said.
"We're beginning to see a pattern of healthcare personnel-to-healthcare personnel transmission in some of the clusters, which is also concerning, because it gets to the issue of people showing up to work sick," Bell said (from the beginning, there was a concern that this would happen and the USA should have implemented it's pandemic plan)
Doctors, nurses and technicians who have flu can spread it to vulnerable patients, Bell noted.
As of May 13, the CDC said it had received 48 reports of healthcare workers infected with swine flu.
Detailed case reports on 26 showed that 13 were infected in a healthcare setting such as a clinic or hospital and 12 caught it from infected patients, the CDC said in its weekly report on death and disease.
(Additional reporting by Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago, editing by Philip Barbara)
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Sat Jun 20, 2009 4:32 pm
James Atkinson (www.tscm.com) sends:
More fuzzed up numbers being published by the CDC
Note the 20% increase over last week, even though the CDC falsely claims the numbers are dropping in Press Briefings and Announcements (when these charts show they are lying).
Also note that several states with rampant infection did not report numbers for this week which skews the overall numbers.
Pay heed to the 7-10% numbers mentioned in the following articles.
But (as per Dr. Jernigan) 7% of the population = 21,560,963 (or, in other words a doctor who specializes in this sort of outbreak at the CDC says that 1000 times the confirmed number may be actually sick with influenza symptoms). Daniel Jernigan, MD, MPH, is the deputy director of the Influenza Division at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC.
This is why the CDC needs to be reporting statistics on a DAILY basis, and be reporting them in a Zip code level basis to the public. While it is important to publish the data on a zip coded bases (which is already in a DB at the CDC) they also need to include how many people presented with Flu like symptoms, and many came up with Influenza, and then the type and sub-strain of influenza.
-jma
More fuzzed up numbers being published by the CDC
Note the 20% increase over last week, even though the CDC falsely claims the numbers are dropping in Press Briefings and Announcements (when these charts show they are lying).
Also note that several states with rampant infection did not report numbers for this week which skews the overall numbers.
Pay heed to the 7-10% numbers mentioned in the following articles.
But (as per Dr. Jernigan) 7% of the population = 21,560,963 (or, in other words a doctor who specializes in this sort of outbreak at the CDC says that 1000 times the confirmed number may be actually sick with influenza symptoms). Daniel Jernigan, MD, MPH, is the deputy director of the Influenza Division at the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC.
This is why the CDC needs to be reporting statistics on a DAILY basis, and be reporting them in a Zip code level basis to the public. While it is important to publish the data on a zip coded bases (which is already in a DB at the CDC) they also need to include how many people presented with Flu like symptoms, and many came up with Influenza, and then the type and sub-strain of influenza.
-jma
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
A must read
by Eliza » Sat Jun 27, 2009 2:12 pm
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
H1N1 claims fourth victim Flu's repercussions shocking
H1N1 has caused pregnant women to spontaneously abort fetus
By: Carol Sanders
6/27/09
Everyone has been warned to wash their hands to prevent the spread of H1N1 virus. But few people have seen the horrifying fallout that can result when the virus does spread.
Imagine infecting a pregnant woman who gets so sick from H1N1 that she loses her baby, or a youth who ends up with a tube down his throat in the ICU for so long that his muscles start to waste away.
This flu is different because of its severity and because of who is being hit the hardest, Winnipeg health experts say.
"When young people start to get the flu and young pregnant females start to lose their babies with the flu, it grabs people's attention because it's out of sync with normal flu season," said Dr. Perry Gray, chief medical officer at Health Sciences Centre.
"Women who have been confirmed with H1N1 have lost their babies because they are sick," said Gray. "It's an odd flu and it's... out of sync with every flu season."
This week, two patients at Deer Lodge Centre tested positive for H1N1, but neither was elderly -- the flu's usual victims. They are chronic-care patients in their 40s and their 60s, said Deer Lodge chief operating officer Real Cloutier.
At HSC, Gray said, he knows of at least three women affected at different stages of pregnancy.
"There seems to be a higher incidence of spontaneous abortion," said Gray, who noted that not all women sick with H1N1 virus have lost their babies, and not all of those who did had confirmed H1N1 flu.
"There's a higher risk of severe infections in pregnancy," said Dr. Brian Postl, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority CEO.
Manitoba's chief medical officer of health said officials are watching the situation but there's no reason for alarm.
Dr. Joel Kettner said that there have been official reports of two pregnant women with severe flu who ended up in the intensive-care unit.
"At any one time in Manitoba, there are 10,000 pregnant women," Kettner said. "Does this represent a higher rate of significance? We don't have evidence that that's the case."
Those getting severely ill from the flu are under 65, and most pregnant women are between the ages of 15 and 40, he said.
"We also know the pregnancy rate among aboriginal people is higher than non-aboriginal people." Aboriginal people have a higher incidence of underlying illness and other risk factors that make them more vulnerable to severe illness with the flu.
"It's always a challenge to figure out cause and effect," Kettner said.
The message for pregnant women is to follow the usual guidelines for staying healthy during pregnancy and the usual flu-prevention guidelines to reduce their risk of exposure and transmission.
If they have a cold with a cough and a fever ,then develop a shortness of breath or pneumonia-like symptoms, they should contact their health-care provider, he said.
Some of the warning signs are worsening chest pain, dehydration and weakness.
Postl said if WRHA staff members are pregnant, they're prepared to assign them to other work away from the H1N1 patients.
However, hospital staff wearing protective gear with gloves, masks and goggles at work are probably safer than they are out in public at shopping malls and sporting events where the virus is spread.
Outside the hospitals, however, "we all share the same risk," Postl said. "It's almost impossible to contain."
The health authority has looked at giving Tamiflu to staff to prevent the illness, he said.
"It's not all that clear it works," said Postl, who works in Easterville and Grand Rapids three to five days, four times year. He hasn't taken Tamiflu.
There have been "clusters" of influenza-like illness at different WRHA sites, but Postl couldn't say how many employees have tested positive for H1N1. Not everyone who gets the flu gets really sick or tested, he said.
"We've tried to contain the number of tests to the sickest," Postl said.
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
H1N1 claims fourth victim Flu's repercussions shocking
H1N1 has caused pregnant women to spontaneously abort fetus
By: Carol Sanders
6/27/09
Everyone has been warned to wash their hands to prevent the spread of H1N1 virus. But few people have seen the horrifying fallout that can result when the virus does spread.
Imagine infecting a pregnant woman who gets so sick from H1N1 that she loses her baby, or a youth who ends up with a tube down his throat in the ICU for so long that his muscles start to waste away.
This flu is different because of its severity and because of who is being hit the hardest, Winnipeg health experts say.
"When young people start to get the flu and young pregnant females start to lose their babies with the flu, it grabs people's attention because it's out of sync with normal flu season," said Dr. Perry Gray, chief medical officer at Health Sciences Centre.
"Women who have been confirmed with H1N1 have lost their babies because they are sick," said Gray. "It's an odd flu and it's... out of sync with every flu season."
This week, two patients at Deer Lodge Centre tested positive for H1N1, but neither was elderly -- the flu's usual victims. They are chronic-care patients in their 40s and their 60s, said Deer Lodge chief operating officer Real Cloutier.
At HSC, Gray said, he knows of at least three women affected at different stages of pregnancy.
"There seems to be a higher incidence of spontaneous abortion," said Gray, who noted that not all women sick with H1N1 virus have lost their babies, and not all of those who did had confirmed H1N1 flu.
"There's a higher risk of severe infections in pregnancy," said Dr. Brian Postl, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority CEO.
Manitoba's chief medical officer of health said officials are watching the situation but there's no reason for alarm.
Dr. Joel Kettner said that there have been official reports of two pregnant women with severe flu who ended up in the intensive-care unit.
"At any one time in Manitoba, there are 10,000 pregnant women," Kettner said. "Does this represent a higher rate of significance? We don't have evidence that that's the case."
Those getting severely ill from the flu are under 65, and most pregnant women are between the ages of 15 and 40, he said.
"We also know the pregnancy rate among aboriginal people is higher than non-aboriginal people." Aboriginal people have a higher incidence of underlying illness and other risk factors that make them more vulnerable to severe illness with the flu.
"It's always a challenge to figure out cause and effect," Kettner said.
The message for pregnant women is to follow the usual guidelines for staying healthy during pregnancy and the usual flu-prevention guidelines to reduce their risk of exposure and transmission.
If they have a cold with a cough and a fever ,then develop a shortness of breath or pneumonia-like symptoms, they should contact their health-care provider, he said.
Some of the warning signs are worsening chest pain, dehydration and weakness.
Postl said if WRHA staff members are pregnant, they're prepared to assign them to other work away from the H1N1 patients.
However, hospital staff wearing protective gear with gloves, masks and goggles at work are probably safer than they are out in public at shopping malls and sporting events where the virus is spread.
Outside the hospitals, however, "we all share the same risk," Postl said. "It's almost impossible to contain."
The health authority has looked at giving Tamiflu to staff to prevent the illness, he said.
"It's not all that clear it works," said Postl, who works in Easterville and Grand Rapids three to five days, four times year. He hasn't taken Tamiflu.
There have been "clusters" of influenza-like illness at different WRHA sites, but Postl couldn't say how many employees have tested positive for H1N1. Not everyone who gets the flu gets really sick or tested, he said.
"We've tried to contain the number of tests to the sickest," Postl said.
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
Remember, it's winter in the southern hemisphere :(
by Eliza » Sat Jun 27, 2009 11:18 pm
Swine flu outbreak worsens in Argentina
2009-06-28 06:30:00
Health officials in Argentina said Saturday the government may declare a state of emergency as the influenza A(H1N1) virus, also called swine flu, is spreading alarmingly in the country.
Till date, 26 people have died and more than 1,500 people have been infected by the deadly virus in the country.
'The emergency does not mean we're closing everything down. The emergency is a frame of reference for having medicines ready for direct purchase and mobilising health personnel,' Health Minister Claudio Zin said.
A national emergency may be declared next week, the minister said.
Health organisations said the number of swine flu cases is higher than the official figure in the country and hospitals have been unable to deal with the situation.
On Friday, 99 new cases have been tested positive for swine flu, raising the
2009-06-28 06:30:00
Health officials in Argentina said Saturday the government may declare a state of emergency as the influenza A(H1N1) virus, also called swine flu, is spreading alarmingly in the country.
Till date, 26 people have died and more than 1,500 people have been infected by the deadly virus in the country.
'The emergency does not mean we're closing everything down. The emergency is a frame of reference for having medicines ready for direct purchase and mobilising health personnel,' Health Minister Claudio Zin said.
A national emergency may be declared next week, the minister said.
Health organisations said the number of swine flu cases is higher than the official figure in the country and hospitals have been unable to deal with the situation.
On Friday, 99 new cases have been tested positive for swine flu, raising the
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:44 am
Strength of swine flu has been underestimated - experts
11-Jul 17:41
The number of confirmed deaths from swine flu has risen to seven, with confirmation today a Taranaki man died from the virus.
The latest death comes as experts are warning we may be being too complacent about H1N1 – it is now the dominant strain affecting 75 percent of all flu patients.
If you are not one of the 1,500 people currently sick with swine flu, chances are you are sick of hearing about it – but experts say now is not the time to be complacent.
Virologist Sue Huang says in the last week, swine flu has become the dominant strain.
“It has jumped from around 15, 20 percent three weeks ago, now it is around 78 percent,” she says.
New research shows we may have been underestimating the strength of swine flu, and that approximately as many people are dying from it in countries like Canada and the United States as were in the first flush in Mexico.
Mathematical Biologist Professor Mick Roberts has been mathematically tracking the virus and says it is too early to say exactly how deadly this strain is.
“Flu has a nasty habit of mutating and changing, therefore we just have to wait and see,” he says.
The spike in cases has seen hospitals implementing new measures to try and manage the epidemic.
At Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital they are restricting the number of visitors per patient to two, in the hope of reducing the risk of the virus being brought into the hospital.
They are restricting – where possible – the entry of children under five.
“The issue with kids under five is that unlike adults they are not so good at blowing their nose and washing their hands,” says Chief Medical Officer Don Mackey.
“So they’re actually quite potent carriers of the flu around the place.”
Middlemore is the first hospital to implement these measures, but 3 News understand other Hospitals have similar plans, which could be in place as early as next week.
3 News
11-Jul 17:41
The number of confirmed deaths from swine flu has risen to seven, with confirmation today a Taranaki man died from the virus.
The latest death comes as experts are warning we may be being too complacent about H1N1 – it is now the dominant strain affecting 75 percent of all flu patients.
If you are not one of the 1,500 people currently sick with swine flu, chances are you are sick of hearing about it – but experts say now is not the time to be complacent.
Virologist Sue Huang says in the last week, swine flu has become the dominant strain.
“It has jumped from around 15, 20 percent three weeks ago, now it is around 78 percent,” she says.
New research shows we may have been underestimating the strength of swine flu, and that approximately as many people are dying from it in countries like Canada and the United States as were in the first flush in Mexico.
Mathematical Biologist Professor Mick Roberts has been mathematically tracking the virus and says it is too early to say exactly how deadly this strain is.
“Flu has a nasty habit of mutating and changing, therefore we just have to wait and see,” he says.
The spike in cases has seen hospitals implementing new measures to try and manage the epidemic.
At Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital they are restricting the number of visitors per patient to two, in the hope of reducing the risk of the virus being brought into the hospital.
They are restricting – where possible – the entry of children under five.
“The issue with kids under five is that unlike adults they are not so good at blowing their nose and washing their hands,” says Chief Medical Officer Don Mackey.
“So they’re actually quite potent carriers of the flu around the place.”
Middlemore is the first hospital to implement these measures, but 3 News understand other Hospitals have similar plans, which could be in place as early as next week.
3 News
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
Brits prepare for massive flu inoculation operation-ASAP
by Eliza » Sat Jul 11, 2009 4:02 pm
From The Sunday Times July 12, 2009
Swine flu vaccine to be cleared after five-day trial
Jon Ungoed-Thomas
The path of a popular medicine from the laboratory to the chemist or doctor’s surgery can involve years of clinical trials on a select group of patients.
When the new vaccine for swine flu arrives in Britain, regulators said this weekend, it could be approved for use in just five days.
Regulators at the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) said the fast-tracked procedure has involved clinical trials of a “mock-up” vaccine similar to the one that will be used for the biggest mass vaccination programme in generations. It will be introduced into the general population while regulators continue to carry out simultaneous clinical trials.
The first patients in the queue for the jab - being supplied to the UK by GSK and Baxter Healthcare - may understandably be a little nervous at any possible side effects. A mass vaccination campaign against swine flu in America was halted in the 1970s after some people suffered Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder of the nervous system.
However, regulators said fast-tracking would not be at the expense of patient safety. “The vaccines are authorised with a detailed risk management plan,” the EMEA said. “There is quite a body of evidence regarding safety on the trials of the mock-up, and the actual vaccine could be assessed in five days.”
The UK government has ordered enough vaccine to cover the entire population. GPs are being told to prepare for a nationwide vaccination campaign.
Dr Peter Holden, the British Medical Association’s lead negotiator on swine flu, who has been attending Department of Health meetings on the outbreak, said GPs’ surgeries were prepared for one of the biggest vaccination campaigns in almost 50 years.
He said although swine flu was not causing serious illness in patients, health officials were eager to start a mass vaccination campaign, starting first on priority groups. First, the jabs would reduce the chances of a shortage of hospital beds because of people suffering from swine flu. Second, it would reduce the effect on the economy by ensuring workers were protected from the virus.
“The high-risk groups will be done at GPs’ surgeries. People are still making decisions over this, but we want to get cracking before we get a second wave, which is traditionally far more virulent.”
Holden said it was likely the elderly would be given their seasonal flu jab as well as the swine flu vaccination. The new vaccine is likely to require two doses.
Details of the inoculation plans emerged after the death of a patient, reportedly a middle-aged man, at a hospital in the Basildon area of Essex. The victim had no underlying health problems, but officials say there is no evidence the swine flu virus had mutated into a more dangerous strain.
Holden said it would be the biggest campaign in response to an outbreak since mass vaccination against smallpox in 1962. He said surgeries would be aiming to inoculate about 30 people an hour in a “military-style operation”.
The Department of Health said it had still not finalised which groups would be vaccinated first, but children, frontline health workers, people with underlying illnesses and the elderly are likely to take priority.
The European Commission is also identifying population groups which it believes should get priority. It is keen to ensure that countries such as the UK, which had ordered supplies of the vaccine in advance, do not cause inequities in treatment elsewhere in Europe.
It warned health ministers in a note circulated last month that if the vaccines were more readily available in some countries it could cause “vaccine tourism/shopping in other member states”.
About 15 people have died of swine flu in Britain, but most of those infected get only mild symptoms. According to the latest figures from the Health Protection Agency, the UK has had 9,718 confirmed cases of the disease.
Swine flu vaccine to be cleared after five-day trial
Jon Ungoed-Thomas
The path of a popular medicine from the laboratory to the chemist or doctor’s surgery can involve years of clinical trials on a select group of patients.
When the new vaccine for swine flu arrives in Britain, regulators said this weekend, it could be approved for use in just five days.
Regulators at the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) said the fast-tracked procedure has involved clinical trials of a “mock-up” vaccine similar to the one that will be used for the biggest mass vaccination programme in generations. It will be introduced into the general population while regulators continue to carry out simultaneous clinical trials.
The first patients in the queue for the jab - being supplied to the UK by GSK and Baxter Healthcare - may understandably be a little nervous at any possible side effects. A mass vaccination campaign against swine flu in America was halted in the 1970s after some people suffered Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder of the nervous system.
However, regulators said fast-tracking would not be at the expense of patient safety. “The vaccines are authorised with a detailed risk management plan,” the EMEA said. “There is quite a body of evidence regarding safety on the trials of the mock-up, and the actual vaccine could be assessed in five days.”
The UK government has ordered enough vaccine to cover the entire population. GPs are being told to prepare for a nationwide vaccination campaign.
Dr Peter Holden, the British Medical Association’s lead negotiator on swine flu, who has been attending Department of Health meetings on the outbreak, said GPs’ surgeries were prepared for one of the biggest vaccination campaigns in almost 50 years.
He said although swine flu was not causing serious illness in patients, health officials were eager to start a mass vaccination campaign, starting first on priority groups. First, the jabs would reduce the chances of a shortage of hospital beds because of people suffering from swine flu. Second, it would reduce the effect on the economy by ensuring workers were protected from the virus.
“The high-risk groups will be done at GPs’ surgeries. People are still making decisions over this, but we want to get cracking before we get a second wave, which is traditionally far more virulent.”
Holden said it was likely the elderly would be given their seasonal flu jab as well as the swine flu vaccination. The new vaccine is likely to require two doses.
Details of the inoculation plans emerged after the death of a patient, reportedly a middle-aged man, at a hospital in the Basildon area of Essex. The victim had no underlying health problems, but officials say there is no evidence the swine flu virus had mutated into a more dangerous strain.
Holden said it would be the biggest campaign in response to an outbreak since mass vaccination against smallpox in 1962. He said surgeries would be aiming to inoculate about 30 people an hour in a “military-style operation”.
The Department of Health said it had still not finalised which groups would be vaccinated first, but children, frontline health workers, people with underlying illnesses and the elderly are likely to take priority.
The European Commission is also identifying population groups which it believes should get priority. It is keen to ensure that countries such as the UK, which had ordered supplies of the vaccine in advance, do not cause inequities in treatment elsewhere in Europe.
It warned health ministers in a note circulated last month that if the vaccines were more readily available in some countries it could cause “vaccine tourism/shopping in other member states”.
About 15 people have died of swine flu in Britain, but most of those infected get only mild symptoms. According to the latest figures from the Health Protection Agency, the UK has had 9,718 confirmed cases of the disease.
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
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The truth finally surfaces.
by Eliza » Mon Jul 13, 2009 5:05 pm
Press Release:
UW-Madison: Study suggests H1N1 virus more dangerous than suspected
7/13/2009
CONTACT: Yoshihiro Kawaoka (608) 265-4925, kawaokay@svm.vetmed.wisc.edu.
NOTE: Kawaoka is traveling on Monday, July 13, and can best be reached via e-mail.
MADISON - A new, highly detailed study of the H1N1 flu virus shows that the pathogen is more virulent than previously thought.
Writing in a fast-tracked report published today (July 13, 2009) in the journal Nature, an international team of researchers led by University of Wisconsin-Madison virologist Yoshihiro Kawaoka provides a detailed portrait of the pandemic virus and its pathogenic qualities.
In contrast with run-of-the-mill seasonal flu viruses, the H1N1virus exhibits an ability to infect cells deep in the lungs, where it can cause pneumonia and, in severe cases, death. Seasonal viruses typically infect only cells in the upper respiratory system.
"There is a misunderstanding about this virus," says Kawaoka, a professor of pathobiological sciences at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and a leading authority on influenza. "People think this pathogen may be similar to seasonal influenza. This study shows that is not the case. There is clear evidence the virus is different than seasonal influenza."
The ability to infect the lungs, notes Kawaoka, is a quality frighteningly similar to those of other pandemic viruses, notably the 1918 virus, which killed tens of millions of people at the tail end of World War I. There are likely other similarities to the 1918 virus, says Kawaoka, as the study also showed that people born before 1918 harbor antibodies that protect against the new H1N1 virus.
And it is possible, he adds, that the virus could become even more pathogenic as the current pandemic runs its course and the virus evolves to acquire new features. It is now flu season in the world's southern hemisphere, and the virus is expected to return in force to the northern hemisphere during the fall and winter flu season.
To assess the pathogenic nature of the H1N1 virus, Kawaoka and his colleagues infected different groups of mice, ferrets and non-human primates - all widely accepted models for studies of influenza - with the pandemic virus and a seasonal flu virus. They found that the H1N1 virus replicates much more efficiently in the respiratory system than seasonal flu and causes severe lesions in the lungs similar to those caused by other more virulent types of pandemic flu.
"When we conducted the experiments in ferrets and monkeys, the seasonal virus did not replicate in the lungs," Kawaoka explains. "The H1N1 virus replicates significantly better in the lungs."
The new study was conducted with samples of the virus obtained from patients in California, Wisconsin, the Netherlands and Japan.
The new Nature report also assessed the immune response of different groups to the new virus. The most intriguing finding, according to Kawaoka, is that those people exposed to the 1918 virus, all of whom are now in advanced old age, have antibodies that neutralize the H1N1 virus. "The people who have high antibody titers are the people born before 1918," he notes.
Kawaoka says that while finding the H1N1 virus to be a more serious pathogen than previously reported is worrisome, the new study also indicates that existing and experimental antiviral drugs can form an effective first line of defense against the virus and slow its spread.
There are currently three approved antiviral compounds, according to Kawaoka, whose team tested the efficacy of two of those compounds and the two experimental antiviral drugs in mice. "The existing and experimental drugs work well in animal models, suggesting they will work in humans," Kawaoka says.
Antiviral drugs are viewed as a first line of defense, as the development and production of mass quantities of vaccines take months at best.
In addition to his appointment at UW-Madison, Kawaoka also is a professor at the University of Tokyo. The new study was funded by grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Study: A/H1N1 more severe than seasonal flu
By SETH BORENSTEIN – 9 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new study finds that the way swine flu multiplies in the respiratory system is more severe than ordinary winter flu.
Tests in monkeys, mice and ferrets show that the swine flu thrives in greater numbers all over the respiratory system, including the lungs, and causes lesions, instead of staying in the head like seasonal flu.
In addition, blood tests show that many survivors of the 1918 flu pandemic seem to have immunity to the current swine flu, but not to the seasonal flu that hits every year.
Those were findings from a study by a top University of Wisconsin flu researcher that was released Monday and will be published in the journal Nature.
The researcher, Yoshishiro (yosh-ee-hero) Kawaoka (cow-a-woka), said he is more concerned about swine flu because of these results.
UW-Madison: Study suggests H1N1 virus more dangerous than suspected
7/13/2009
CONTACT: Yoshihiro Kawaoka (608) 265-4925, kawaokay@svm.vetmed.wisc.edu.
NOTE: Kawaoka is traveling on Monday, July 13, and can best be reached via e-mail.
MADISON - A new, highly detailed study of the H1N1 flu virus shows that the pathogen is more virulent than previously thought.
Writing in a fast-tracked report published today (July 13, 2009) in the journal Nature, an international team of researchers led by University of Wisconsin-Madison virologist Yoshihiro Kawaoka provides a detailed portrait of the pandemic virus and its pathogenic qualities.
In contrast with run-of-the-mill seasonal flu viruses, the H1N1virus exhibits an ability to infect cells deep in the lungs, where it can cause pneumonia and, in severe cases, death. Seasonal viruses typically infect only cells in the upper respiratory system.
"There is a misunderstanding about this virus," says Kawaoka, a professor of pathobiological sciences at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and a leading authority on influenza. "People think this pathogen may be similar to seasonal influenza. This study shows that is not the case. There is clear evidence the virus is different than seasonal influenza."
The ability to infect the lungs, notes Kawaoka, is a quality frighteningly similar to those of other pandemic viruses, notably the 1918 virus, which killed tens of millions of people at the tail end of World War I. There are likely other similarities to the 1918 virus, says Kawaoka, as the study also showed that people born before 1918 harbor antibodies that protect against the new H1N1 virus.
And it is possible, he adds, that the virus could become even more pathogenic as the current pandemic runs its course and the virus evolves to acquire new features. It is now flu season in the world's southern hemisphere, and the virus is expected to return in force to the northern hemisphere during the fall and winter flu season.
To assess the pathogenic nature of the H1N1 virus, Kawaoka and his colleagues infected different groups of mice, ferrets and non-human primates - all widely accepted models for studies of influenza - with the pandemic virus and a seasonal flu virus. They found that the H1N1 virus replicates much more efficiently in the respiratory system than seasonal flu and causes severe lesions in the lungs similar to those caused by other more virulent types of pandemic flu.
"When we conducted the experiments in ferrets and monkeys, the seasonal virus did not replicate in the lungs," Kawaoka explains. "The H1N1 virus replicates significantly better in the lungs."
The new study was conducted with samples of the virus obtained from patients in California, Wisconsin, the Netherlands and Japan.
The new Nature report also assessed the immune response of different groups to the new virus. The most intriguing finding, according to Kawaoka, is that those people exposed to the 1918 virus, all of whom are now in advanced old age, have antibodies that neutralize the H1N1 virus. "The people who have high antibody titers are the people born before 1918," he notes.
Kawaoka says that while finding the H1N1 virus to be a more serious pathogen than previously reported is worrisome, the new study also indicates that existing and experimental antiviral drugs can form an effective first line of defense against the virus and slow its spread.
There are currently three approved antiviral compounds, according to Kawaoka, whose team tested the efficacy of two of those compounds and the two experimental antiviral drugs in mice. "The existing and experimental drugs work well in animal models, suggesting they will work in humans," Kawaoka says.
Antiviral drugs are viewed as a first line of defense, as the development and production of mass quantities of vaccines take months at best.
In addition to his appointment at UW-Madison, Kawaoka also is a professor at the University of Tokyo. The new study was funded by grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Study: A/H1N1 more severe than seasonal flu
By SETH BORENSTEIN – 9 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new study finds that the way swine flu multiplies in the respiratory system is more severe than ordinary winter flu.
Tests in monkeys, mice and ferrets show that the swine flu thrives in greater numbers all over the respiratory system, including the lungs, and causes lesions, instead of staying in the head like seasonal flu.
In addition, blood tests show that many survivors of the 1918 flu pandemic seem to have immunity to the current swine flu, but not to the seasonal flu that hits every year.
Those were findings from a study by a top University of Wisconsin flu researcher that was released Monday and will be published in the journal Nature.
The researcher, Yoshishiro (yosh-ee-hero) Kawaoka (cow-a-woka), said he is more concerned about swine flu because of these results.
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
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by yankee-in-france » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:51 am
It is becoming easier to understand ... I think ... so what they are saying is that the H1N1 attacks deep in the lungs whereas seasonal flu attacks the upper respiratory tract.
A few days ago, Eliza, we were discussing the wisdom of the pneumonia vaccine. It just occurred to me though that the present pneumonia vaccine is protection against bacterial pneumonia not viral pneumonia. Are we back to square one?
A few days ago, Eliza, we were discussing the wisdom of the pneumonia vaccine. It just occurred to me though that the present pneumonia vaccine is protection against bacterial pneumonia not viral pneumonia. Are we back to square one?
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yankee-in-france - YIF
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by Eliza » Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:44 pm
Most of those that died, 40M, during the 1918 pandemic, actually died from bacterial pneumonia. I would have to research deeper regarding the 1957 outbreak.
I believe it was informational to compare the AP snipped article next to the actual report and many of the most important revelations, in the Kawaoka report, were ommited from the AP article.
I believe it was informational to compare the AP snipped article next to the actual report and many of the most important revelations, in the Kawaoka report, were ommited from the AP article.
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
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48% of doctors polled concerned for catostrphic pandemic
by Eliza » Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:57 pm
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
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by yankee-in-france » Wed Jul 15, 2009 5:50 am
Eliza wrote:Most of those that died, 40M, during the 1918 pandemic, actually died from bacterial pneumonia. I would have to research deeper regarding the 1957 outbreak.
I believe it was informational to compare the AP snipped article next to the actual report and many of the most important revelations, in the Kawaoka report, were ommited from the AP article.
... so perhaps the pneumonia vaccine might be the way to go.
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yankee-in-france - YIF
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by Eliza » Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:31 pm
yankee-in-france wrote:
... so perhaps the pneumonia vaccine might be the way to go.
Indeed. If you are old enough or have underlying conditions that would justify your general practitioner to order the jab. If not, I would pay for it myself if insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid wouldn't pay. Most employers have always been proactive when it came to vaccinations. They surely would want you to have it considering the A/H1N1 jab is still in the development stages and not available to the general public.
The feds are paying for the A/H1N1 jab, in the US, otherwise, it would be quite expensive with my estimate being around $190-$570 USD depending on whether you need one, two, or three jabs. There are reports that young children, may need three jabs. They'll love that!
If I had school age children, with chronic bronchitis or asthma, or any type of lung issue, I would absoutely want them vaccinated for the bacterial pneumonia while the vaccine is still on the shelves. I believe it will shortly become scarce if big pharm hasn't ramped up production. Big pharm, has to be overwhelmed. There are outbreaks of whooping cough and dunge(sp) fever occuring and expected to increase.
To add: One of the biggest misnomers commited by the MSM was their redundant talking point that 36,000 Americans die each year from the seasonal flu. This is absolutely NOT true. No one knows how many people die from the flu as it is not tested for very often and the 36,000 figure is probably people who die from pneumonia. MSM didn't care and didn't research this talking point. They just ran with it. MSM also used the talking point that seasonal flu was more serious than A/H1N1 flu. That wasn't true either and was debunked earlier this week by flu experts in Wisconsin, a state that has had one of the most serious A/H1N1 outbreaks in the world.
Most people now aren't tested for A/H1N1 flu unless they're hospitalized or in serious or critical condition. It keeps the numbers down.
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
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by yankee-in-france » Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:07 am
We're going to check into it over here to see if we can get the pneumonia vaccine.
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yankee-in-france - YIF
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Flu may cause brain damage in children
by Eliza » Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:23 pm
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
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by Eliza » Fri Jul 24, 2009 5:25 pm
AP Interview: Flu chief: Pandemic in early stages
By FRANK JORDANS (AP) –
GENEVA — The global swine flu pandemic is still in its early stages and reports of over 100,000 infections in England alone last week are plausible, the World Health Organization's flu chief said Friday.
Keiji Fukuda, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Security and Environment, told The Associated Press that given the size of the world's population, the new H1N1 virus is likely to spread for some time.
"Even if we have hundreds of thousands of cases or a few millions of cases ... we're relatively early in the pandemic, "he said in an interview at WHO's headquarters in Geneva.
The global health agency stopped asking governments to report new cases last week, saying the effort was too great now that the disease has become so widespread in some countries.
Health authorities in Britain say there were over 100,000 infections in England alone last week, while U.S. authorities estimate the United States has over 1 million swine flu cases. Those figures dwarf WHO's tally of 130,000 confirmed cases worldwide since the start of the outbreak last spring.
"We know that the total number of laboratory confirmed cases is really only a subset of the total number of cases," Fukuda said.
Fukuda, the former chief of epidemiology at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also said there must be no doubt over the safety of swine flu vaccines before they are given to the public.
Health officials and drug makers are looking into ways of speeding up the production of the vaccine before the northern hemisphere enters its flu season in the fall.
"Everybody involved with the vaccine work, from manufacturers up to the regulatory agencies, are looking at what steps can be taken to make the process as streamlined as possible," Fukuda said. "One of the things which cannot be compromised is the safety of vaccines."
By FRANK JORDANS (AP) –
GENEVA — The global swine flu pandemic is still in its early stages and reports of over 100,000 infections in England alone last week are plausible, the World Health Organization's flu chief said Friday.
Keiji Fukuda, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Security and Environment, told The Associated Press that given the size of the world's population, the new H1N1 virus is likely to spread for some time.
"Even if we have hundreds of thousands of cases or a few millions of cases ... we're relatively early in the pandemic, "he said in an interview at WHO's headquarters in Geneva.
The global health agency stopped asking governments to report new cases last week, saying the effort was too great now that the disease has become so widespread in some countries.
Health authorities in Britain say there were over 100,000 infections in England alone last week, while U.S. authorities estimate the United States has over 1 million swine flu cases. Those figures dwarf WHO's tally of 130,000 confirmed cases worldwide since the start of the outbreak last spring.
"We know that the total number of laboratory confirmed cases is really only a subset of the total number of cases," Fukuda said.
Fukuda, the former chief of epidemiology at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also said there must be no doubt over the safety of swine flu vaccines before they are given to the public.
Health officials and drug makers are looking into ways of speeding up the production of the vaccine before the northern hemisphere enters its flu season in the fall.
"Everybody involved with the vaccine work, from manufacturers up to the regulatory agencies, are looking at what steps can be taken to make the process as streamlined as possible," Fukuda said. "One of the things which cannot be compromised is the safety of vaccines."
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
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by Eliza » Wed Jul 29, 2009 3:35 pm
Elderly left out of vaccination priority. Babysitters given higher priority than elderly. CDC ignoring the fact that the elderly should be hit hardest this winter if historical pandemic mortality holds true.
Wake up folks. First Medicare. Then the flu shots. Social Security will be next on the hit list.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a body that advises the federal government on vaccine matters, nearly unanimously voted to offer the new vaccine first to pregnant women, household contacts and caregivers of infants under six months old, health-care and emergency-services workers, children and young adults up to age 24, and people under 64 years old with underlying medical conditions.
Those groups are considered at highest risk of complications from the new flu virus, which has caused 43,771 cases in the U.S. as of July 24, including 5,011 hospitalizations and 302 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency says 70% of the people hospitalized for the disease have had underlying medical conditions.
Wake up folks. First Medicare. Then the flu shots. Social Security will be next on the hit list.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a body that advises the federal government on vaccine matters, nearly unanimously voted to offer the new vaccine first to pregnant women, household contacts and caregivers of infants under six months old, health-care and emergency-services workers, children and young adults up to age 24, and people under 64 years old with underlying medical conditions.
Those groups are considered at highest risk of complications from the new flu virus, which has caused 43,771 cases in the U.S. as of July 24, including 5,011 hospitalizations and 302 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency says 70% of the people hospitalized for the disease have had underlying medical conditions.
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
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Unconfirmed report has fatality rate at astounding 0.7%
by Eliza » Sun Aug 02, 2009 1:01 am
Influenza A(H1N1): Warning of community outbreak
2009/08/02
Annie Freeda Cruez
PUTRAJAYA: The influenza A (H1NI) outbreak in Malaysia is getting serious and is soon expected to break out of its present "cluster" level into the community.
The concern of the health authorities is how aggressive the transmission is going to be. Already, there are four H1N1 deaths. More than 1,300 Malaysians have contracted the flu.
With this development, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who chairs the inter-ministerial committee for H1N1, will convene a meeting on Tuesday.
"If the situation is not taken care of, a lot of people are going to be hospitalised," Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican warned.
"A lot more people will require intensive care unit treatment and a lot more may succumb to the illness."
Dr Ismail said the government was concerned with the turn of events and the Health Ministry was working on having a more robust surveillance system and laboratory updates to get quick disease data for effective decision making.
"The ministry is also instituting pharmaceutical interventions to protect people at increased risk and reduce preventable deaths.
"We plan to have a balanced public health intervention system to slow down the spread of the disease."
Globally, more and more cases are reported every day, with the fatality rate at 0.7 per cent.
In Malaysia, the situation is also disturbing, with a fatality rate of 0.3 per cent.
"We instituted containment measures in the early part of the pandemic, starting May 15. It is because of what we had done that we managed to contain the disease for as long as possible," said Dr Ismail.
Health experts around the world are not quite certain of the trend of the disease. Many say the current strain is mild to moderate, but even the World Health Organisation would not make an affirmation as it is a new disease.
"Malaysians must be on high alert and strictly adhere to the advice of the ministry," said Dr Ismail.
To date, the "cluster level" cases of H1N1 have been reported in 30 institutions of higher learning and polytechnics, 28 secondary schools, three primary schools, three teacher training colleges and two hospitals.
The increased infections have seen Malaysia switching from the containment to mitigation phase. Local transmission (55 per cent) has surpassed imported cases (45 per cent).
During the containment phase, the ministry's task was to stop or delay the spread of the virus by detecting cases and taking vigorous action such as contact tracing, treatment and quarantine.
In the mitigation phase, the ministry is battling to slow down the spread of the virus in the community and minimising transmission to vulnerable sections of the population.
2009/08/02
Annie Freeda Cruez
PUTRAJAYA: The influenza A (H1NI) outbreak in Malaysia is getting serious and is soon expected to break out of its present "cluster" level into the community.
The concern of the health authorities is how aggressive the transmission is going to be. Already, there are four H1N1 deaths. More than 1,300 Malaysians have contracted the flu.
With this development, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who chairs the inter-ministerial committee for H1N1, will convene a meeting on Tuesday.
"If the situation is not taken care of, a lot of people are going to be hospitalised," Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican warned.
"A lot more people will require intensive care unit treatment and a lot more may succumb to the illness."
Dr Ismail said the government was concerned with the turn of events and the Health Ministry was working on having a more robust surveillance system and laboratory updates to get quick disease data for effective decision making.
"The ministry is also instituting pharmaceutical interventions to protect people at increased risk and reduce preventable deaths.
"We plan to have a balanced public health intervention system to slow down the spread of the disease."
Globally, more and more cases are reported every day, with the fatality rate at 0.7 per cent.
In Malaysia, the situation is also disturbing, with a fatality rate of 0.3 per cent.
"We instituted containment measures in the early part of the pandemic, starting May 15. It is because of what we had done that we managed to contain the disease for as long as possible," said Dr Ismail.
Health experts around the world are not quite certain of the trend of the disease. Many say the current strain is mild to moderate, but even the World Health Organisation would not make an affirmation as it is a new disease.
"Malaysians must be on high alert and strictly adhere to the advice of the ministry," said Dr Ismail.
To date, the "cluster level" cases of H1N1 have been reported in 30 institutions of higher learning and polytechnics, 28 secondary schools, three primary schools, three teacher training colleges and two hospitals.
The increased infections have seen Malaysia switching from the containment to mitigation phase. Local transmission (55 per cent) has surpassed imported cases (45 per cent).
During the containment phase, the ministry's task was to stop or delay the spread of the virus by detecting cases and taking vigorous action such as contact tracing, treatment and quarantine.
In the mitigation phase, the ministry is battling to slow down the spread of the virus in the community and minimising transmission to vulnerable sections of the population.
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
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by yankee-in-france » Sun Aug 02, 2009 6:05 am
Saw my doc yesterday. He told me that he expects that the pharmacies will have the swine flu virus available in October or at the latest in November. He has put Peter and I on his list.
A difference between the US and UK and France is that your doc gives you an RX for the vaccine. You take the prescription to the pharmacy and are given the vaccine. You take the vaccine back to the doc who administers the injection. It doesn't matter what vaccine you're getting. I found that interesting when we had our typhus and hepatitis vaccines a few years ago.
A difference between the US and UK and France is that your doc gives you an RX for the vaccine. You take the prescription to the pharmacy and are given the vaccine. You take the vaccine back to the doc who administers the injection. It doesn't matter what vaccine you're getting. I found that interesting when we had our typhus and hepatitis vaccines a few years ago.
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yankee-in-france - YIF
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Not good news at all.
by Eliza » Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:48 pm
Treatment resistant swine flu detected in US
(AFP)
WASHINGTON — Health officials said they had found cases of Tamiflu-resistant swine flu along the US border with Mexico, as India and South Africa announced their first deaths from the A(H1N1) virus.
"We have found resistance to Tamiflu on the border. We have observed some cases, few to be sure, in El Paso and close to McAllen, Texas," said Maria Teresa Cerqueira, head of the Pan-American Health Organization office in La Jolla, California.
Cases of A(H1N1) that were resistant to the anti-viral medicine have now been found in the United States, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong and Japan.
Experts had gathered in La Jolla on Monday to discuss the response to the outbreak, and warned that resistant strains were likely emerging because of overuse of antivirals like Tamiflu.
"In the United States Tamiflu is sold with a prescription, but in Mexico and Canada it is sold freely and taken at the first sneeze. Then, when it is really needed, it doesn't work," said Cerqueira.
The Tamiflu-resistant cases were reported as South Africa and India both announced their first fatalities from the A(H1N1) virus, which emerged in Mexico in April and has since spread worldwide, gaining pandemic status.
In South Africa, health authorities said Ruan Muller, a 22-year-old student at Stellenbosch University near Cape Town, had died after contracting the virus.
"He died on the 28th (of July), but there had to be some testing done to ensure the cause of death. It was the A(H1N1) influenza," said Fidel Hadebe, spokesman for South Africa's Department of Health.
With the world's highest number of HIV/AIDS-affected people -- nearly 19 percent of a 49-million-person population -- South Africa is considered particularly at risk because people with compromised immunity are more likely to fall prey to the disease.
South Africa's swine flu caseload has increased fourfold since the country's first case was reported on June 14. The government has said its stockpile of Tamiflu will only be used for the seriously ill, but that schools may also be closed on a case-by-case basis.
In India, authorities said a 14-year-old girl in the western city of Pune became the country's first fatality from the virus.
The teenager first felt unwell on July 21, complaining of a sore throat, runny nose and headaches. She returned to school the following day after the general symptoms improved, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.
She then developed a fever again on July 25 and two days later was admitted to a private clinic for treatment. She was put on a ventilator in an intensive care unit and was treated with Oseltamivir, a generic brand of Tamiflu.
"Her condition deteriorated again with multi-system involvement and (she) expired on the evening of 03.08.09," the ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Russian state health agency warned the country's football fans to stay away from the national team's World Cup qualifying tie with Wales in Cardiff on September 9.
"This would be an extremely unnecessary and inappropriate undertaking at a time of a flu epidemic," the head of Russia's state health agency Gennady Onishchenko said, according to local news agencies.
Onishchenko expressed fear that "the expressions of emotion on the part of football fans involving intense shouting" could lead to the airborne transmission of the flu virus.
Russia has to-date been relatively spared by the swine flu pandemic, with just 55 confirmed cases in the country.
Experts remain puzzled as to why different countries have not always been affected to the same degree, with England and Scotland both heavily hit proportionately, yet neighboring France's tally appearing light by comparison.
Some have argued that gargantuan sums being spent by rich economies on a disease that is no more lethal than seasonal flu are grotesquely disproportionate when thousands die each day of diseases which receive less media coverage.
(AFP)
WASHINGTON — Health officials said they had found cases of Tamiflu-resistant swine flu along the US border with Mexico, as India and South Africa announced their first deaths from the A(H1N1) virus.
"We have found resistance to Tamiflu on the border. We have observed some cases, few to be sure, in El Paso and close to McAllen, Texas," said Maria Teresa Cerqueira, head of the Pan-American Health Organization office in La Jolla, California.
Cases of A(H1N1) that were resistant to the anti-viral medicine have now been found in the United States, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong and Japan.
Experts had gathered in La Jolla on Monday to discuss the response to the outbreak, and warned that resistant strains were likely emerging because of overuse of antivirals like Tamiflu.
"In the United States Tamiflu is sold with a prescription, but in Mexico and Canada it is sold freely and taken at the first sneeze. Then, when it is really needed, it doesn't work," said Cerqueira.
The Tamiflu-resistant cases were reported as South Africa and India both announced their first fatalities from the A(H1N1) virus, which emerged in Mexico in April and has since spread worldwide, gaining pandemic status.
In South Africa, health authorities said Ruan Muller, a 22-year-old student at Stellenbosch University near Cape Town, had died after contracting the virus.
"He died on the 28th (of July), but there had to be some testing done to ensure the cause of death. It was the A(H1N1) influenza," said Fidel Hadebe, spokesman for South Africa's Department of Health.
With the world's highest number of HIV/AIDS-affected people -- nearly 19 percent of a 49-million-person population -- South Africa is considered particularly at risk because people with compromised immunity are more likely to fall prey to the disease.
South Africa's swine flu caseload has increased fourfold since the country's first case was reported on June 14. The government has said its stockpile of Tamiflu will only be used for the seriously ill, but that schools may also be closed on a case-by-case basis.
In India, authorities said a 14-year-old girl in the western city of Pune became the country's first fatality from the virus.
The teenager first felt unwell on July 21, complaining of a sore throat, runny nose and headaches. She returned to school the following day after the general symptoms improved, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.
She then developed a fever again on July 25 and two days later was admitted to a private clinic for treatment. She was put on a ventilator in an intensive care unit and was treated with Oseltamivir, a generic brand of Tamiflu.
"Her condition deteriorated again with multi-system involvement and (she) expired on the evening of 03.08.09," the ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Russian state health agency warned the country's football fans to stay away from the national team's World Cup qualifying tie with Wales in Cardiff on September 9.
"This would be an extremely unnecessary and inappropriate undertaking at a time of a flu epidemic," the head of Russia's state health agency Gennady Onishchenko said, according to local news agencies.
Onishchenko expressed fear that "the expressions of emotion on the part of football fans involving intense shouting" could lead to the airborne transmission of the flu virus.
Russia has to-date been relatively spared by the swine flu pandemic, with just 55 confirmed cases in the country.
Experts remain puzzled as to why different countries have not always been affected to the same degree, with England and Scotland both heavily hit proportionately, yet neighboring France's tally appearing light by comparison.
Some have argued that gargantuan sums being spent by rich economies on a disease that is no more lethal than seasonal flu are grotesquely disproportionate when thousands die each day of diseases which receive less media coverage.
-
Eliza - Posts: 9703
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by Eliza » Thu Aug 06, 2009 10:46 pm
On Swine Flu in CaliforniaPandemic has taken hold
SFGate
Jorge R. Mancillas
Thursday, August 6, 2009
While state officials haggled over a solution to the state's budget deficit, the swine flu virus continued to spread unabated, the number of fatalities in California has doubled in a few days and, yet, we are still in the early days of a public health crisis that has escaped the grasp of the state's public institutions.
Our country and our state failed to take the measures necessary to contain the pandemic while we still had a chance, and we are now left with mitigation and keeping the fatalities down as the only option.
We are now facing a virus that is highly contagious, has spread more rapidly than in any previous flu pandemic and is reaching every corner of the world. We have no immunity against this new strain, a vaccine will not be ready and distributed until this fall, antiviral medications have limited effectiveness and there are already reports of three cases of mutation rendering the virus immune to the antiviral drug Tamiflu.
Nowhere has complacency had worst effects than in the United States, which, despite our wealth and technological advantages, has now surpassed all countries in the number of cases - with around 35 percent of the world total - as well as in the number of deaths.
Absorbed by its budget woes and distracted by implementing cuts in its public services just when we most need them, California leads all states in the number of H1N1 infections and fatalities. As of July 16, it reported 3,168 cases, 55 deaths and a whopping fatality rate of 1.73 percent, almost four times higher than the global rate of 0.45 percent, or 4.5 deaths per 1,000 persons, and almost three times the U.S. rate of 0.64 percent. By July 30, the California death toll had risen to 80.
This dire performance has taken place when we are facing a "mild" strain of the virus in summer, when Californians are spending more times outdoors and are not concentrated so heavily indoors, thus reducing transmission of the virus. There was a marked increase in the spread of infections in July, a spike attributable to the geometric increase in the number of cases.
The H1N1 virus has an attack rate of 30 percent, meaning 1 in 3 of those exposed becomes infected. Only a small fraction of infections result in death. But when millions become infected, that small fraction rises to thousands. If current trends continue, up to 11 million Californians could become infected and 176,000 could die in our state before the pandemic is over.
The severity of the consequences of this pandemic has varied significantly in the states and countries affected to date. The determining factor has been their level of medical preparedness. Yet, even as we witness a spike in fatalities in California, the governor and legislative leaders have decided to implement cuts that will further weaken our health system, just when we should be strengthening it. The state workers who should be in the front lines of the response to the pandemic are being sent on furlough, their ranks will be cut and those remaining will be demoralized.
What this reveals is a warped sense of priorities. We may not face higher taxes, but will pay a higher toll in lost lives, medical costs and disruption of economic activities as millions in the state fall ill.
Dr. Jorge R. Mancillas is the health services officer for Public Services International, a global federation that includes 231 organizations representing 7 million frontline health workers in 154 countries.
SFGate
Jorge R. Mancillas
Thursday, August 6, 2009
While state officials haggled over a solution to the state's budget deficit, the swine flu virus continued to spread unabated, the number of fatalities in California has doubled in a few days and, yet, we are still in the early days of a public health crisis that has escaped the grasp of the state's public institutions.
Our country and our state failed to take the measures necessary to contain the pandemic while we still had a chance, and we are now left with mitigation and keeping the fatalities down as the only option.
We are now facing a virus that is highly contagious, has spread more rapidly than in any previous flu pandemic and is reaching every corner of the world. We have no immunity against this new strain, a vaccine will not be ready and distributed until this fall, antiviral medications have limited effectiveness and there are already reports of three cases of mutation rendering the virus immune to the antiviral drug Tamiflu.
Nowhere has complacency had worst effects than in the United States, which, despite our wealth and technological advantages, has now surpassed all countries in the number of cases - with around 35 percent of the world total - as well as in the number of deaths.
Absorbed by its budget woes and distracted by implementing cuts in its public services just when we most need them, California leads all states in the number of H1N1 infections and fatalities. As of July 16, it reported 3,168 cases, 55 deaths and a whopping fatality rate of 1.73 percent, almost four times higher than the global rate of 0.45 percent, or 4.5 deaths per 1,000 persons, and almost three times the U.S. rate of 0.64 percent. By July 30, the California death toll had risen to 80.
This dire performance has taken place when we are facing a "mild" strain of the virus in summer, when Californians are spending more times outdoors and are not concentrated so heavily indoors, thus reducing transmission of the virus. There was a marked increase in the spread of infections in July, a spike attributable to the geometric increase in the number of cases.
The H1N1 virus has an attack rate of 30 percent, meaning 1 in 3 of those exposed becomes infected. Only a small fraction of infections result in death. But when millions become infected, that small fraction rises to thousands. If current trends continue, up to 11 million Californians could become infected and 176,000 could die in our state before the pandemic is over.
The severity of the consequences of this pandemic has varied significantly in the states and countries affected to date. The determining factor has been their level of medical preparedness. Yet, even as we witness a spike in fatalities in California, the governor and legislative leaders have decided to implement cuts that will further weaken our health system, just when we should be strengthening it. The state workers who should be in the front lines of the response to the pandemic are being sent on furlough, their ranks will be cut and those remaining will be demoralized.
What this reveals is a warped sense of priorities. We may not face higher taxes, but will pay a higher toll in lost lives, medical costs and disruption of economic activities as millions in the state fall ill.
Dr. Jorge R. Mancillas is the health services officer for Public Services International, a global federation that includes 231 organizations representing 7 million frontline health workers in 154 countries.
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Eliza - Posts: 9703
- Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:05 am
- Location: Deep in the hills with my rifle, bible, and pony
by yankee-in-france » Sun Aug 09, 2009 5:04 am
Eliza, I just saw the under 64 in the vaccine program. Am I mistaken or didn't I read that most people 65 and older without serious health problems do not seem to be effected by this virus? Could that be the reason for the under 64 policy?
I do not know whether there is any truth but I was having lunch the other day with a friend, who is an Irish ex-pat. She is a psychologist and has many friends in the medical field in Ireland. It is her belief (from conversations with her doctor/nurse friends) that every sniffle is being diagnosed as swine flu and that in the majority of cases, it is not the real McCoy. I asked her why would this be happening. She thinks that it is designed to make money for the drug companies. She claims that the use of Tamiflu is rampant and could actually be making people more ill than they would be naturally. She personally is going to get the regular yearly flu vaccine and not the swine flu vaccine.
I am not a great believer in conspiracies, but she is a pretty solid individual and conservative so this was a bit interesting. However, I am not a fan of the Irish healthcare system so I am not sure that the info she received is the best.
What do you think, Eliza?
I do not know whether there is any truth but I was having lunch the other day with a friend, who is an Irish ex-pat. She is a psychologist and has many friends in the medical field in Ireland. It is her belief (from conversations with her doctor/nurse friends) that every sniffle is being diagnosed as swine flu and that in the majority of cases, it is not the real McCoy. I asked her why would this be happening. She thinks that it is designed to make money for the drug companies. She claims that the use of Tamiflu is rampant and could actually be making people more ill than they would be naturally. She personally is going to get the regular yearly flu vaccine and not the swine flu vaccine.
I am not a great believer in conspiracies, but she is a pretty solid individual and conservative so this was a bit interesting. However, I am not a fan of the Irish healthcare system so I am not sure that the info she received is the best.
What do you think, Eliza?
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yankee-in-france - YIF
- Posts: 13274
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- Location: France
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