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Global's H1N1 Update news 20.3.2010

2010-03-20T11:57:00.000+05:30

Influenza A (H1N1) Cases and Deaths*

*Cases reported by The World Health Organization (WHO) are as of March 7, 2010

National News

The Canadian government has announced it is planning to overhaul its vaccine supply system. GlaxoSmithKilne, the only company with a flu vaccine plant in Canada, is the government’s sole flu vaccine supplier. The single-source system came about when officials worried that a pandemic outbreak would prompt countries to close their borders, blocking potential vaccine shipments. GlaxoSmithKine ran into production delays last year with its H1N1 vaccine, and its ten-year contract expires next year. In a notice to the drug industry, health officials said they wanted to consider “a second pandemic supply contract,” and look into “additional suppliers for seasonal influenza vaccine, as necessary.” The Globe and Mail

One month after the Vancouver Olympics, three months after the H1N1 pandemic peak in Canada, and four months after the Auditor General accused Ottawa of being unprepared to respond to emergencies, the federal government has adopted its Federal Emergency Response Plan. The plan outlines emergency management roles and responsibilities of federal institutions in case of man-made or natural disasters, including floods, forest fires, terrorist attacks and pandemics. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said a plan has always been in place, but now it’s been formalized. Auditor General Sheila Fraser says that was not so and that in November the plan was still incomplete though the ministry was created in 2003. CBC News

Vaccine News

In an update to a related story, Fraunhofer USA’s Center for Molecular Biotechnology has been awarded a $4.4 million research grant. The funding will allow the non-profit research organization to begin clinical trials for its plant-based flu vaccines. The American Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is backing the project to enable a more rapid response to military and civilian disease threats. Fraunhofer USA’s Press Release

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2010-03-20T11:50:00.000+05:30

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Situation Update

2010-03-17T17:38:00.000+05:30

Flu Activity: FluView reports that for the week of February 28 – March 6, 2010, flu activity in the United States was relatively low, with most flu continuing to be caused by 2009 H1N1. Flu activity, caused by either 2009 H1N1 or seasonal flu viruses, may rise and fall, but is expected to continue for weeks. It’s possible that the United States could experience another wave of flu activity caused by either 2009 H1N1 or seasonal influenza.

Australia: "Good take-up" at free swine flu vaccinations..0909

2010-03-17T17:37:00.000+05:30

VIa ABC News: "Good take-up" at free swine flu vaccinations. Excerpt:

More than 55,000 Queenslanders have been vaccinated against swine flu so far at free weekend clinics being held at high schools around the state.

More than 40 Queenslanders died in the first wave of the H1N1 virus last year, and Queensland Health (QH) says the immunisation program will reduce the impact when swine flu strikes again.

QH chief health officer Jeannette Young says she is pleased with the take-up, and clinics will run until the end of the school term.

"Anyone who goes along who is part of the child's family can certainly be vaccinated and anyone from the general community who wants to can certainly go along to one of the clinics," she said.

wat is avian influenza? how

2010-03-17T10:22:00.000+05:30

It 'started as a natural influenza virus is naturally in wild birds carrying the virus in the intestines, but usually do not get sick of them. However, avian influenza is very contagious among birds and can some domestic birds, including making chickens, ducks and turkeys, very sick and kill them.

Avian influenza is not normally infect species other than birds and pigs. But the man came with the bird flu in Hong Kong in 1997 when the H5N1 strainInfected 18 people, including 6 deaths

What is avian flu, and because we are killing the chickens?

More recently, a virulent form of bird flu has swept through 10 countries in Asia and killed thousands of chickens and ducks, and possibly wild birds as well. In four countries, China, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam has the flu and people infected, most of whom were believed to be in close contact with infected chickens. The governments of these countries have killed millions of birdsin an attempt to stop the spread.

Avian influenza viruses do not infect humans, as a rule, however, occurred more than 100 confirmed cases of infection with avian influenza viruses since 1997, according to World Health Organization.

The difference in virus known as H5N1, compared with human influenza and pneumonia is that bird flu is spreading in the form of the body in a fast pace and rapidly affects the lungs fill with fluid. Symptoms include: throat, fever, headache, coughin some deaths, severe breathing difficulties caused by a viral pneumonia.

What is avian flu and why people think it will make a pandemic?

What health authorities fear that the H5N1 virus can mutate rapidly and reaches the genetic material of the virus to other animals. There have been infected then there is the real possibility of causing large-scale human infection by a mutation of a new virus from humans,with both avian and human influenza viruses at the same time. The birds are infected, the greater the risk to humans and the increased likelihood that a new "super virus" could be formed.

If this is the case then the virus, such as a cold, it could spread very rapidly and cause high mortality rates - particularly the young, the elderly and people who are already sick.

What is avian flu, and there is a vaccine? While the vaccine Tamiflu caneffective against theavian influenza virus is a scarce commodity. The other important factor is that there is no guarantee that this vaccine will be effective against the new mutant strain of the virus and health officials point out that this could be for many months.

What is avian influenza and what can I do to protect myself?
Best advice is to avoid the possibility of exposure and to stimulate the immune system through a healthy diet (more omega-3 fatty acids, lessOf sugar, fried foods and omega-6) and start supplementing with nutrients known to improve the functioning of the immune system - such as selenium and vitamins A, C and E.

Abstract

Avian influenza or the H5N1 virus is found naturally in wild birds and can be spread to domestic chickens and pigs.

Recently, human infections have in several countries in Asia due to contact with infected birds and pigs.

The virus is very human through the Youngrapidly and affects the lungs fill with fluid.

Health officials are spreading about the possibility of human contamination has been hit with a new and highly lethal virus that can spread easily from person to person develops an ANDS would cause high mortality.

Although there is a vaccine against the H5N1 bird flu virus is to provide concise and made no resistance to a new avian influenza virus.

Antioxidant supplements are very effective in strengthening theD immune systems provide a natural protection against the virus

ssam bird flu excuse for dead poultry farms how it came?

2010-03-15T18:07:00.000+05:30

Call it foresight or bad economics, the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department (AHVD) put Rs 2.49 crore in 15 State-run poultry farms that were defunct. These farms became non-functional prior to the 2004-05 fiscal.

In May last year, the Department argued that steps were taken since 2007 to make 13 of these 15 farms functional. But the outbreak of avian influenza put paid to the efforts.

"The contention of the Department is not correct, as outbreak of bird flu is a recent event. Failure to revive the farms reflected lack of adequate initiative," said a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for the year ending March 31, 2009.

If that were not enough, AHVD had during 2004-09 spent Rs 1.84 crore on payment of salary and wages to 120 drivers – for doing nothing.

“Scrutiny revealed that 71 out of 226 different types of vehicles (with AHVD) were auctioned during 2000-08. Out of the remaining 155 vehicles, 114 remained off-road prior to 2004-05 and only 41 vehicles were on road during 2004-09,” the CAG report said.

It added: “Against these 41 vehicles, 161 regular drivers were engaged since 2004-05 as against the requirement of 41 drivers. As a result 120 drivers were maintained in excess of requirement involving an expenditure of Rs 1.84 crore.”

Maintenance of idle manpower indicated poor manpower management on the part of AHVD, the report concluded.

FLU

2010-03-13T19:10:00.000+05:30

Swine flu – Avoid being at Crowded places ?why

2010-03-12T11:25:00.001+05:30

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Tο stay away frοm swine flu, avoid crowded places bυt аt tһе same time υѕе Smittstopp tһаt саח guard уου аחԁ уουr family frοm tһе deadly virus. Tһіѕ pandemic ѕһουƖԁ bе battled аחԁ ԁrеаԁ wіƖƖ never Ɩеt уου ԁο ѕο. Uѕе Smittstopp tο ɡеt rid οf уουr worries аחԁ stand passionate hostile tο tһе swine flu virus.

Dynamic Swine Flu Threat Will Persist Through 2010, Experts Say....

2010-03-11T16:44:00.000+05:30

The timing of H1N1 “swine” flu’s arrival makes it too late to include in the 2009-2010 seasonal flu shot, which could mean two separate flu shots over the coming winter for many Americans and as many as three for children, whose immune systems have developed minimal resistance to influenza and may thus require two shots of the novel strain, according to a leading vaccinologist.

Maj. Gen. Philip Russell U.S. Army, Ret., a physician and former head of the branch’s infectious disease program, participated in a panel discussion on H1N1 this week hosted by the George Washington University’s School of Public Health and Health Services and the Homeland Security Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.

The coming winter’s seasonal flu shots are already in production, incorporating three strains that appeared over the past winter and are expected to return. A swine flu shot may arrive mid-fall, but would likely not be widely available until early 2010, possibly requiring the implementation of administration guidelines—essentially rationing-- while supplies are still short, Russell said.

Dr. Jeffrey Levi, executive director of the Trust for America’s Health, and fellow panelists shared high praise for elements of the public health sector’s current handling of the H1N1 outbreak. They agreed, however, that the country still lacks adequate logistical planning and assets to administer vaccines or medication—like 600 million or more doses—in the midst of a severe pandemic.

Whether the America public would accede to a series of seasonal flu shots “depends on how scared people are,” Levi said. A better question is whether the pharmaceutical industry would have the capacity to produce them in a global pandemic, he added.

The H1N1 response has benefitted from sound execution of high-quality pandemic flu plans drafted in response to the deadly Asian H5N1 “bird” flu, but recent weeks have revealed omissions in the plans, said panelist Paul Jarris, executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

U.S. containment plans assumed that pandemic flu strains would be detected overseas, like Asia, before they spread in North America. H1N1, instead, originated in Mexico and was already spreading in the United States by the time its threat came to light, Jarris said, noting that 1918’s Spanish flu originated in Kansas.

“We forgot the past and failed to prepare for that contingency,” said Jarris, who along with other panelists warned that H1N1 will likely pose a critical public health threat for roughly 18 months.

“We are still in the early stages of this. We are several weeks into a novel outbreak, so this is not over,” Jarris said.

The panelists reserved high praise for the government’s risk communication during the outbreak. They lauded government for letting the public health sector, including Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, speak directly to the American people about the severity of the risk. The country has also benefitted from the communication skill of President Barack Obama, who said last month that the disease is “a cause for deep concern, but not panic,” Levi said.

To read more about the huge challenges of pandemic preparedness, check out "Biothreat Detection and Response" from the February issue of Security Management.

The latest news on swine flu is tat?

2010-03-09T10:33:00.000+05:30

The latest news on swine flu

The latest update from the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that as of the 6th of July the worldwide total of H1N1 influenza A cases (swine flu) had reached 94,512 including 429 deaths.

Of these officially recorded cases by the WHO Australia accounts for 5,298 including 10 deaths and lies in sixth position of countries to date worse affected.

However according to the latest Australian government figures the picture is far bleaker because as of yesterday Australia has now had 8,337 confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus, including 18 deaths - the national breakdown of cases is currently the ACT 336, NSW 1,858, NT 578, Qld 1,976, SA 920, Tas 137, Vic 2,067, WA 463.

There are currently 132 people in hospital around Australia with the virus, 29 of these are in intensive care - the total number of hospitalisations in Australia since the H1N1 pandemic began is 902.

The United States has been particularly affected with 33,902 including 170 deaths, followed by Mexico with 10,262 cases including 119 deaths, Canada with 7,983 cases including 25 deaths, the United Kingdom with 7,447 cases including 3 deaths and Chile with 7,376 cases including 14 deaths.

These numbers are of course a week old and current estimates will undoubtedly exceed them as it often takes weeks or months to collect data on flu deaths.

The WHO says it has received information from health authorities in Denmark, Japan and Hong Kong that some H1N1 viruses appear to be resistant to the antiviral drug Tamiflu - the viruses were found in three patients who did not have severe disease and all have now apparently recovered.

The WHO says investigations by the Global Influenza Surveillance Network into almost 1000pandemic H1N1 viruses have not found the resistant virus in the close contacts of these three people and all other viruses have been shown sensitive to the anti-virals Tamiflu and Relenza.

The WHO says that instances of drug resistance appear to represent sporadic cases of resistance and currently there is no evidence to indicate the development of widespread antiviral resistance among pandemic H1N1 viruses and antiviral drugs remain a key component of the public health response when used as recommended.

Health officials in the U.S. say another $1 billion will be spent on the bulk ingredients for an H1N1vaccine.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says while there are plans for a mid-October vaccination programme it remains unclear whether the vaccine would be offered for swine flu - the WHO is expected to issue guidance on whether an H1N1 swine flu vaccine will be offered alongside the seasonal flu vaccine.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reportedly working with scientists at the National Institutes of Health to ensure the vaccination programme will be safe and effective.

Health experts estimate that at least 1 million people have been infected with swine flu in the United States and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says it has confirmed 211 deaths.

In Australia 18 Queenslanders have reportedly been hospitalised with swine flu and 5 remain in intensive care - across the state 2,000 people have now tested positive for the H1N1 flu virus - Queensland Health says 2,026 cases of H1N1 were confirmed in the state last night with more than 400 diagnosed with swine flu over the weekend.

Health experts say people who have mild flu-like symptoms do not need to visit their GP and parents should keep children at home if they are sick with flu-like symptoms and this also applies to workers who develop flu symptoms - they say only those with underlying medical conditions which render them more vulnerable to developing complications need to be tested for the virus.

In central Queensland, all 91 inmates at the Capricornia low security prison farm near Rockhampton are undergoing tests after some prisoners showed flu symptoms and 6 men have been isolated, while they wait for swine flu test results.

To date Queensland has recorded no death from the illness, but health officials across the country are warning Australians not to become complacent about the H1N1 flu outbreak.

Seasonal epidemics of influenza occur yearly during autumn and winter in temperate regions - in some tropical countries, influenza viruses circulate throughout the year with one or two peaks during rainy seasons.

Worldwide epidemics of seasonal influenza result in about 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness, and about 250,000 to 500,000 deaths - about 36,000 people die each year from the seasonal flu in the United States alone.

11 fresh deaths take India's swine flu toll to 1,061

2010-01-19T11:03:00.000+05:30

Eleven swine flu deaths, eight in Gujarat alone, were reported Sunday, taking the toll in India to 1,061, health officials said here.
Also, 33 new cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of people affected with the contagious flu to 27,712.
Of the total eight deaths reported from Gujarat, four occurred Sunday and four others happened earlier but were confirmed Sunday. A total of 152 people have died in the state due to the deadly virus.
Two deaths were also recorded from Rajasthan, which is seeing a sudden spurt in the number of cases and deaths. About 162 people have died so far due to the Influenza A (H1N1) virus in the state.
One death was also reported from Punjab where so far 35 people have died due to the flu.
However, Maharashtra continues to report the maximum number of deaths and cases in the country. Since the first swine flu death in India Aug 3 which occurred in Maharashtra's Pune town, about 284 people have died in the state, while 4,732 people have been detected with the virus.
"Till date, samples from 117,094 people have been tested for Influenza A (H1N1) in government laboratories and a few private laboratories across the country, and 27,712 them have been found positive," said an official statement here.
New cases were also reported from Delhi (14), Gujarat (13), Uttar Pradesh (two), Haryana (one) and Jammu and Kahsmir (one).

Six fresh cases of swine flu in Delhi

2010-01-18T09:53:00.000+05:30

Six new cases of swine flu were reported in the national capital Sunday, a health official said.

"There were six new cases today. The cumulative number of H1N1 infections in the city has reached 9,595,” a health ministry official added.

On Friday, a 55-year-old woman succumbed to the disease, taking the toll due to Influenza A (H1N1) to 89 in the capital.

Swine flu latest from the NHS1

2010-01-18T09:40:00.000+05:30

The chief medical officer has said that the number of people with flu continues to fall. In the week to January 7, the number of cases has fallen to fewer than 5,000 estimated cases.
The overall number of patients in hospital was down to 393, with a slight reduction in critical care patients, at 103. There were 360 deaths in the UK, with 251 in England, 64 in Scotland, 28 in Wales, and 17 in Northern Ireland.
Despite the decrease in swine flu numbers, it remains important that people in at-risk groups are vaccinated. Healthy children under five years and over six months began to be vaccinated before Christmas, and more than 86,000 are estimated to have been given the vaccine. In total, more than 3.2 million doses have been given to priority groups.

Vaccinations

Vaccination of people in clinical risk groups is well under way, with an estimated 3.2 million doses of vaccine administered so far. NHS hospitals and GPs are now vaccinating patients facing the greatest risk of complications. Patients will be contacted by their GPs if they fall into one of the at-risk categories.
Healthcare staff dealing with the public are also being vaccinated to help keep medical services running smoothly and to prevent them from passing the virus to patients.

Who is a priority for vaccination?

People who are most at risk from swine flu need to be vaccinated first. These groups are, in order of priority:
People aged between six months and 65 years in the seasonal flu vaccine at-risk groups.
All pregnant women. The European Medicines Agency has indicated the vaccine can be given to pregnant women regardless of their stage of pregnancy.
People who live with those whose immune systems are compromised, such as cancer patients or people with HIV/AIDS.
People aged 65 and over in the seasonal flu vaccine at-risk groups.
Healthy children aged over six months and under five years old.
Frontline health and social care workers will also be offered the vaccine at the same time as the first clinical at-risk groups. Health and social care workers are both at an increased risk of catching swine flu and of spreading it to other at-risk patients.

What are the seasonal flu vaccine at-risk groups?

These are people with:
chronic respiratory disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
chronic heart disease, such as heart failure,
chronic kidney disease, such as kidney failure,
chronic liver disease, such as chronic hepatitis,
chronic neurological disease, such as Parkinson's disease,
diabetes requiring insulin or oral hypoglycaemic drugs, and
immunosuppression (a suppressed immune system), due to disease or treatment.

Who is at greatest risk of serious complications from swine flu?

Some people are more at risk of complications if they catch swine flu, and need to start taking antivirals as soon as it is confirmed that they have the illness. Doctors may advise some high-risk patients to take antivirals before they have symptoms, if someone close to them has swine flu.
It is already known that people are particularly vulnerable if they have:
chronic (long-term) lung disease,
chronic heart disease,
chronic kidney disease,
chronic liver disease,
chronic neurological disease (neurological disorders include motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease),
immunosuppression (whether caused by disease or treatment), or diabetes mellitus.
Also at risk are:
patients who have had drug treatment for asthma in the past three years,
pregnant women,
people aged 65 and over, and
children under five.

National Pandemic Flu Service

The National Pandemic Flu Service was launched in July. This online service assesses patients for swine flu and, if required, gives them an authorisation number that can be used to collect antiviral medication.
The system, which can also be accessed by phone, will take the strain off GPs as swine flu spreads. For the moment, it is being used only in England.
“The National Pandemic Flu Service is a new self-care service which will give people with pandemic swine flu symptoms fast access to information and antivirals,” said a Department of Health spokesman.
“This new service will free up GPs, enabling them to deal with other illnesses that need their urgent attention.”
The launch of the system brought important changes to the official advice that is given to people who think they may have swine flu. That advice – and the new system – is supported by the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Swine flu medicines
To learn about the medicines used to treat pandemic flu, including the benefits and side-effects, go to the pandemic flu medicine guide.
Reporting side effects
If you take an antiviral and have suspected side effects, first contact your GP to check that you are OK. You can then report your side effects on MHRA's new online system.

Advice for antivirals

Several newspapers reported that the World Health Organization (WHO) had changed its advice regarding use of antivirals for swine flu. Its advice suggests that while antivirals should always be given in serious cases, they may not always be necessary for otherwise healthy people.
The papers pointed out that this appeared to differ from the approach taken in the UK, where Tamiflu is being widely used.
However, the Department of Health said:
"We believe a safety-first approach of offering antivirals, when required, to everyone remains a sensible and responsible way forward. However, we will keep this policy under review as we learn more about the virus and its effects.
"The WHO recommendations are in fact in line with UK policy on antivirals. We have consistently said that many people with swine flu only get mild symptoms, and they may find bed rest and over-the-counter flu remedies work for them.”
For an explanation of swine flu, its symptoms and treatment, go to Swine flu A-Z
For quick questions and answers go to Swine flu Q&A
For information in other languages and formats go to Swine flu: other languages
To check your symptoms go to the National Pandemic Flu Service
For advice on how to protect yourself and your baby go to Swine flu and pregnancy

Latest advice

If you have flu-like symptoms and are concerned that you may have swine flu, the advice is to stay at home and check your symptoms at the National Pandemic Flu Service.
Patients with swine flu typically have a fever or a high temperature (over 38°C / 100.4°F) and two or more of the following symptoms:
unusual tiredness,
headache,
runny nose,
sore throat,
shortness of breath or cough,
loss of appetite,
aching muscles,
diarrhoea or vomiting
Call your GP if:
you have a serious underlying (existing) illness,
you're pregnant,
you have a sick child under one year old,
your condition suddenly gets much worse, or
your condition is still getting worse after seven days (five for a child).
For people who do not have internet access, the National Pandemic Flu Service can be accessed by phone on:
Telephone: 0800 1 513 100
Minicom: 0800 1 513 200
For more information on the National Pandemic Flu Service, go to Flu Service: questions and answers.
People in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can visit www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu

Advice for pregnant women

Pregnant women are one of the higher risk groups for swine flu, as they are for all influenza viruses. It is therefore important for them to take precautions.
This website provides full and up-to-date advice for pregnant women and parents of young children. The advice has not changed recently and is available at the following links:
Swine flu advice for pregnant women.
Swine flu pregnancy and parenting Q&A.
Swine flu symptoms, including high-risk groups.
Chief medical officer's advice on pregnancy, holidays, and parents.
Reduce the risk of catching or spreading flu
Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Use a tissue.
Dispose of used tissues carefully.
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or alcoholic hand rub.
Clean hard surfaces (e.g. kitchen worktops, door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product.
Catch it, Bin it, Kill it

Although the UK has moved to a treatment phase for swine flu, it’s important that people continue to do everything they can to stop the virus from spreading.
The most important way to stop it spreading is to have good respiratory hygiene (i.e. sneezing and coughing into a tissue) and hand hygiene (keeping your hands clean). The video Catch it, Bin It, Kill It explains the importance of catching your sneeze in a tissue, placing it quickly in a bin and washing your hands and surfaces regularly to kill the virus.

Sask. expands swine flu vaccinations011

2009-11-18T11:20:00.000+05:30

Saskatchewan health officials say more groups are being added to the priority list for swine flu vaccinations, but individual health regions remain in charge of screening people for the shots.

The new groups, announced Tuesday, include anyone — of any age — with an underlying health condition, and students in grades 7 to 12.

"This will roll out at different rates by regional health authorities depending on the supply of vaccine," announced Dr. Saqib Shahab, Saskatchewan's deputy chief medical health officer.

Saskatchewan said the province had received another 59,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine, raising the total to 320,400.

The province estimates about one-third of the population will have been immunized, once the new batch of vaccine is used.

"The clinics have been operating smoothly and swiftly," Dr. Moira McKinnon, Saskatchewan's chief medical health officer, added. "This has enabled us to move forward to add risk groups more quickly."

Officials defend swine flu vaccination plan1111111111111111111

2009-11-18T11:16:00.000+05:30

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. public health officials defended the distribution of swine flu vaccines on Tuesday against criticism that their plan to protect Americans was confusing and over-optimistic.

Manufacturers have delivered 48.5 million doses of H1N1 vaccine, Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told a Senate hearing. HHS had hoped to have as many as 120 million doses by now.

The problem was worsened because the first vaccine to be available was a nasal spray made by AstraZeneca unit MedImmune that is not suitable for some of the most vulnerable groups but which is perfect for most schoolchildren and healthcare workers, officials said.

Members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee pressed for an apology and said they felt President Barack Obama's administration had not learned some valuable lessons from the continuing problem.

"I am worried that we are undermining confidence in our public health system," said committee chairman, Connecticut independent Sen. Joseph Lieberman.

He said he feared people who have waited in vain to be vaccinated against H1N1 swine flu will stop trying.

"This hearing is critical to peeling away the layers of misinformation and miscommunication that has hampered the federal government's pandemic influenza strategy," added Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins.

The U.S. government is struggling to vaccinate as many people as possible against the virus, which has infected an estimated 22 million Americans and killed 3,900.

In September HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius had assured Congress, "There will be enough vaccines for everyone."

"I think we led expectations of availability to be higher than they have been. I think that led to frustration," Schuchat said.

ADMITTING MISTAKES

"I think you used the word mistake and it is important to acknowledge that here," Lieberman said.

HHS spokeswoman Jenny Backus later said Sebelius's promise was not a mistake.

"The problem has been that lots of people want it all at the same time and that has been a challenge and we understand that people are frustrated," Backus said by email.

"Vaccine came off the production lines slower than what the original predictions were and we made the tough choice to start the vaccination program as soon as vaccine was ready to go even though we knew that supplies would be low

India's swine flu toll rises to 530 !

2009-11-18T10:30:00.000+05:30

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New Delhi: Four swine flu deaths were reported in India Tuesday, taking the toll due to the Influenza A (H1N1) virus to 530, health department officials said here.

One death each was reported from Karnataka, Goa, Uttarakhand and Gujarat.

With that one death in Karnataka, the toll in the southern state has jumped to 119.

The toll is now five each in Goa and Uttarakhand. In Gujarat, it has now gone up to 45. However, Maharashtra, which recorded the first swine flu death Aug 3, tops the list with the highest number of deaths so far - 214.

Also, 176 new cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of people affected with the contagious virus to 15,726.

"Till date, samples from 80,327 people have been tested for Influenza A (H1N1) in government laboratories and a few private laboratories across the country, and 15,726 of them have been found positive," said a statement issued here.

Delhi reported 62 new cases Tuesday, taking the total number of people affected with the flu in the Indian capital to 3,837.

In Maharashtra, 25 new cases were reported. With this, the total number of people tested positive for the flu in the state has jumped to 3,828.

New cases were also reported from Rajasthan (43), Uttar Pradesh (10), Tamil Nadu (seven) and Karnataka (four).

Dallas-area pharmacies to get swine flu vaccine013

2009-11-18T10:28:00.000+05:30

The swine flu vaccine will be available starting Wednesday at 100 pharmacies in Dallas County, health authorities announced this afternoon.
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The H1N1 vaccine will be available at many area Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Tom Thumb, and Kroger stores. In addition, one independent pharmacy, Dougherty's Pharmacy at Preston and Royal in North Dallas, started selling the vaccines today.

The full list of participating pharmacies was to be posted on the Dallas County Web site.

Each pharmacy has its own procedures for distribution. Some will require an appointment; some will allow walk-up customers.

The cost will range from $10 to $18 depending on the store, pharmacy representatives said.

The shots are intended for those in high-risk categories, specifically:

•Pregnant women

•Caretakers of children under 6 months old

•People 6 months to 24 years old

•People 25 to 64 with underlying health problems such as asthma or diabetes

•Health care and emergency medical workers

The distribution of vaccine announced today represents 16,000 doses received by Dallas County from the state health department.

The county anticipates receiving substantially more doses in the next couple of weeks. Those will also be distributed in part through local pharmacies.

Canadian-made swine flu shots approved by US regulator012

2009-11-18T10:27:00.000+05:30

WASHINGTON — The US Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday it has approved a Canadian-made shot against swine flu.

The vaccine is the fifth approved by the FDA for use in the United States, where a massive campaign to vaccinate tens of millions of Americans against swine flu has come up against a severe shortage of vaccine.

Fewer than half of the 160 million doses that health officials had originally said would be available by the end of October have been delivered.

The shortfall has been blamed in part on the outdated method used to produce vaccine, which relies on growing a seed stock of the virus in chicken eggs.

Like the other four vaccines approved by the FDA for use in the United States, the new vaccine, made by ID Biomedical of Quebec, is manufactured "using the established, licensed egg-based manufacturing process used for producing seasonal flu vaccine," the US food and drug regulator said.

The vaccine will be produced in multi-dose vials and will contain the preservative thimerosal, which contains mercury.

Pregnant women, who are one of five groups at heightened risk of developing severe complications and dying from swine flu, have to have the injectable form of the pandemic H1N1 vaccine because it is made with killed virus.

The other form, a nasal spray, is made with live, greatly weakened virus and is not advised for pregnant women, children under the age of two and people with chronic health conditions such as asthma, other groups who have priority for vaccination.

Swine flu vaccine was tested on pregnant women in the United States, but the vaccine that was tested did not contain thimerosal.

83 more swine flu cases, 2 deaths in Jodhpur1 !

2009-11-18T10:14:00.000+05:30

JAIPUR: Eight-three new cases of swine flu have been identified in the state on Tuesday, out of which 52 were from Jaipur, 22 from Jodhpur, four
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from Ajmer, two from Bikaner and one each from Bharatpur, Kota and Udaipur divisions.

The health department also confirmed the death of two patients in Jodhpur, taking the total toll in the state to 26 so far.

Meanwhile, as information on some cases were not received on time by the health department, they were also included on Tuesday's data. Hence the total number of patients on Tuesday was put at 114 and the total number of positive cases in the state at 856, against 742 cases reported till Monday.

Of the 83 new cases reported by the department on Tuesday, 41 are children, including at least 29 students from Jaipur. In the reports received on Tuesday, four persons above the age of 65 were confirmed positive. This was the first time that H1N1 infection has been reported from the age group above 65 years. Also, it is for the first time the department has confirmed infection of H1N1 in the Bharatpur division.

List of govt hospitals authorised to treat swine flu!

2009-11-03T19:59:00.000+05:30

In the wake of threat posed by the A (HINI) influenza, the government has authorised a number of hospitals across the country to test and treat cases of swine flu:

Phone: (011) 26594404, 26861698 Professor R C Deka – 9868397464.

National Institute for Communicable Diseases, 22, Sham Nath Marg, New Delhi - 54

Phone: (011) 23971272/060/344/524/449/326.

Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Kharak Singh Marg, New Delhi - 01

Phone: (011) 23741640, 23741649, 23741639, Dr N K Chaturvedi – 9811101704.

Vallabhai Patel Chest Institute University, Enclave, New Delhi- 07

Phone: (011) 27667102, 27667441, 27667667, 27666182

Kasturba Gandhi [ Images ] Hospital, Arthur Road, N M Joshi Marg, Jacob Circle, Mumbai [ Images ] - 11

Phone: (022) 23083901, 23092458, 23004512

Sir J J Hospital, J J Marg, Byculla, Mumbai - 08

Phone: (022) 23735555, 23739031, 23760943, 23768400 / 23731144 / 5555 / 23701393 / 1366

Haffkine Institute, Acharya Donde Marg, Parel, Mumbai - 12

Phone: (022) 24160947, 24160961, 24160962

ID Hospital, 57,Beliaghata, Beliaghata Road, Kolkata [ Images ] - 10

Phone: (033) 23701252

Victoria Hospital, K R Market, Kalasipalayam, Bangalore - 02

Phone: (080) 26703294 Dr. Gangadhar - 94480-49863

SDS Tuberculosis & Rajiv Gandhi [ Images ] Institute of Chest Diseases, Hosur Road, Hombegowda Nagar, Bangalore - 29

Phone: (080) 26631923 Dr. Shivaraj - 99801-48780.

Chennai King Institute of Preventive Medicine (24/7 Service) Guindy, Chennai – 32

Phone: (044) 22501520, 22501521 & 22501522

Communicable Diseases Hospital Thondiarpet, Chennai

Phone: (044) 25912686/87/88, 9444459543

Government General Hospital, Opp Central Railway Station, Chennai – 03

Phone: (044) 25305000, 25305723, 25305721, 25330300

Hospital Nr Le''Meridian, Raja Bahadur Mill, GPO, Pune - 01

Phone: (020) 26058243

National Institute of Virology, 20A Ambedkar Road, Pune - 11

Phone: (020) 26006290

Government Medical College, Gandhi Nagar P O, Kottayam - 08

Phone: (0481) 2597311,2597312

Government Medical College, Vandanam P O, Allapuzha - 05

Phone: (0477) 2282015

Taluk Hospital, Railway Station Road, Alwaye, Ernakulam

Phone: (0484) 2624040 Sathyajit – 09847840051,

Taluk Hospital, Perumbavoor PO, Ernakulam 542

Phone: (0484) 2523138, Vipin - 09447305200

Government General Hospital, near Railway Station, Trichy Road, Coimbatore - 18

Phone: (0422) 2301393, 2301394, 2301395, 2301396

Govt General and Chest Diseases Hospital, Erragadda, Hyderabad

Phone: (040) 23814939

New Study Evaluates Surgical Masks Vs. N95 Respirators For Preventing Influenza Among Health

2009-10-04T19:25:00.000+05:30

Surgical masks appear to be no worse than, and nearly as effective as N95 respirators in preventing influenza in health care workers, according to a study released early online today by JAMA. The study was posted online ahead of print because of its public health implications. It will be published in the November 4 issue of JAMA.

Influenza is the most important cause of medically attended acute respiratory illness worldwide and the authors write there is heightened concern this year because of the influenza pandemic due to the H1N1 virus. "Data about the effectiveness of the surgical mask compared with the N95 respirator for protecting health care workers against influenza are sparse," the authors provide as background information in the article. "Given the likelihood that N95 respirators will be in short supply during a pandemic and not available in many countries, knowing the effectiveness of the surgical mask is of public health importance."

Mark Loeb, M.D., M.Sc., from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and colleagues conducted a randomized controlled trial of 446 nurses in eight Ontario hospitals to compare the surgical mask with the N95 respirator in protecting health care workers against influenza. The nurses were randomized into two groups: 225 were assigned to receive surgical masks and 221 were assigned to receive the fitted N95 respirator which they were to wear when caring for patients with febrile (fever) respiratory illness. The primary outcome of the study was laboratory-confirmed influenza. Effectiveness of the surgical mask was assessed as non-inferiority of the surgical mask compared with the N95 respirator.

Between September 23, 2008 and December 8, 2008, "influenza infection occurred in 50 nurses (23.6 percent) in the surgical mask group and in 48 (22.9 percent) in the N95 respirator group (absolute risk difference -0.73 percent)," indicating non-inferiority of the surgical mask the authors report. Even among those nurses who had an increased level of the circulating pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza strain, non-inferiority was demonstrated between the surgical mask group and the N95 respirator group for the 2009 influenza A(H1N1).

"Our data show that the incidence of laboratory-confirmed influenza was similar in nurses wearing the surgical mask and those wearing the N95 respirator. Surgical masks had an estimated efficacy within 1 percent of N95 respirators," the authors write. "That is, surgical masks appeared to be no worse, within a prespecified margin, than N95 respirators in preventing influenza."

In conclusion the authors state: "Our findings apply to routine care in the health care setting. They should not be generalized to settings where there is a high risk for aerosolization, such as intubation or bronchoscopy, where use of an N95 respirator would be prudent. In routine health care settings, particularly where the availability of N95 respirators is limited, surgical masks appear to be non-inferior to N95 respirators for protecting health care workers against influenza."

H1N1 (Swine Influenza) Experts At The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions!

2009-10-04T19:18:00.000+05:30

Johns Hopkins has a wide range of experts available for interviews and comments about H1N1 and seasonal flu, emergency preparedness, infection control, transmission in children, vaccine safety, flu treatment, public health ethics, flu in cancer patients, and public communications strategies. If you would like to interview a Johns Hopkins expert, call or email the designated information officer in the list below.

Flu Pandemic, Public Health Crises Planning and Response

Area of expertise: Planning, preparedness and rapid response for medical facilities and institutions; large-scale disaster planning and emergency response; and coordination with federal, state and local governments and disaster assistance organizations.

Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine

New Articles To Protect Vulnerable Populations During An Influenza Pandemic Published In Special Issue Of American Journal Of Public Health,..........

2009-10-04T18:59:00.000+05:30

New articles released outline the needs of vulnerable populations during an influenzapandemic, including children, people with disabilities and low-income communities. These articles, which were developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appear in a special influenza preparedness issue of the American Journal of Public Health, published by the American Public Health Association.

Public health emergencies have made clear the necessity of taking into special consideration the challenges and risks that vulnerable populations present. The papers highlighted in the special issue were developed prior to the current H1N1 pandemic and for a potential severe influenza pandemic. Up-to-date information and guidance on H1N1 influenza can be found at http://www.flu.gov.

With an expected resurgence of the H1N1 virus in the United States this fall, these articles should help to minimize the risk and stem the spread of the virus in these communities, including the following vulnerable populations:

- Children - Children are a vulnerable segment of the population, dependent on others for providing their food, shelter, transportation and medical care. Those under the age of 18 years account for approximately 74 million residents of the United States.

- Racial and ethnic minority populations - Broad disparities in underlying health status and social factors such as socioeconomic disadvantages; cultural, educational and linguistic barriers; and lack of access to and use of health care contribute to why racial and ethnic minority populations are more vulnerable in the event of influenza pandemic.

- Public housing, single-parent and low-income families - Data suggest that poverty, in addition to exposing individuals to more acute and chronic stressors, weakens an individual's ability to cope with new problems and difficulties.

- People with disabilities - People with disabilities, particularly those who require personal assistance and those who reside in congregate care facilities, may be at increased risk during an influenza pandemic because of disrupted care or the introduction of the virus by their caregivers.

- Farmworkers - Whether working with livestock or crops, farmworkers may also be more vulnerable than the general population to human influenza pandemics as a result of living conditions, suboptimal access to health services and potential communication barriers resulting from language and culture.

- Local jails - Persons held in correctional facilities in the United States have high rates of infectious and chronic diseases, mental illness, substance dependency and homelessness prior to jail booking, than the general public. During an influenza pandemic, these health and socioeconomic issues would likely make jail inmates particularly vulnerable because of their compromised immune systems and possible diminished capacity to understand the importance of taking medication.

"Only when the nation is prepared to protect those who are most vulnerable will we be assured that we have in place an effective and efficient preparedness and response system," noted Dr. Sonja Hutchins of the CDC and guest editor of the special supplement. "These articles helped us shape our strategies to respond to and contain the H1N1 virus among vulnerable populations, but also may help to combat future pandemics and other public health emergencies."

In May, articles for pregnant women, home health care workers, tribal communities and immigrants and refugees, which are also included in this supplement, were made available in a special early release by the American Journal of Public Health.

Get The Facts On The H1N1 (Swine) Flu..!

2009-10-04T18:57:00.001+05:30

In response to the growing concern about the H1N1(swine) flu pandemic, Anatomical Chart Company (ACC) and Lippincott's NursingCenter.com offer a free teaching aid to help healthcare practitioners explain the H1N1 virus to their patients. The highly visual color handout is available as a free download in English and Spanish athttp://www.anatomical.com/swineflu and http://www.nursingcenter.com/h1n1handout. ACC and Lippincott's NursingCenter.com are part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

In April of 2009, the H1N1 influenza virus was first detected in the United States. Two months later a pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization (WHO). Over the past five months, Lippincott's NursingCenter.com has been keeping nurses informed about the development of this infection, including its spread in the U.S. and internationally, treatment recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccine development, and guidelines for the care of specific patient populations.

Lippincott's NursingCenter.com's clinical editor Lisa Morris Bonsall MSN, RN, CRNP created the teaching aid using the Anatomical Chart Company's vivid images to provide simple textual and visual information for clinicians and health educators to give to their patients. The handout will help patients learn the facts, including signs and symptoms, how the infection spreads, treatment options, and prevention methods for H1N1. The free educational handout is available in English and Spanish.

Lippincott's NursingCenter.com provides over 1,100 peer-reviewed continuing education activities and free access to 11,000 articles from more than 50 leading nursing journals. Created by nurses, for nurses, Lippincott's NursingCenter.com is the premier destination site for online nursing continuing education and peer reviewed content.

ACC is the premier provider of high-quality anatomical wall charts and related products for the human health markets.

About Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) is a leading international publisher for healthcare professionals and students with nearly 300 periodicals and 1,500 books in more than 100 disciplines publishing under the LWW brand, as well as content-based sites and online corporate and customer services.

LWW is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health and pharmacy. Major brands include traditional publishers of medical and drug reference tools and textbooks, such as Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and Facts & Comparisons®; and electronic information providers, such as Ovid®, UpToDate® , Medi-Span® and ProVation® Medical.

Baxter Receives EMEA Positive Opinion For CELVAPAN H1N1 Pandemic Influenza Vaccine........................

2009-10-04T15:13:00.000+05:30

Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX) announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) granted its "positive opinion" for CELVAPAN H1N1pandemic vaccine using Baxter's Vero cell technology. This positive opinion confirms the acceptability of Baxter's regulatory submission to obtain final marketing authorization and licensure of the product.

CELVAPAN H1N1 is the first cell culture-based and non-adjuvanted vaccine to receive a positive opinion in the European Union. Initial quantities of vaccine have already been delivered to a number of countries, including the UK and Ireland, for use in their national vaccination programs, and are awaiting product release subject to final marketing authorization being granted by the European Commission.

Presently, Baxter is confirming the safety and immunogenicity of CELVAPAN H1N1 in clinical trials. The company is conducting two randomized trials in 400 healthy adults age 18 and over and in 400 children and adolescents to supplement the licensure post-approval with appropriate clinical data. These trials are evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of the vaccine at dose levels of 7.5µg and 3.75µg. Once countries initiate national vaccination programs using CELVAPAN H1N1, Baxter will also conduct a large-scale observational study with CELVAPAN in 9,000 people of different age groups, including children.

Preliminary safety data in adults and the elderly indicate that the vaccine is well tolerated in these age groups. The observed systemic and local reactions are similar to those generally experienced after vaccination with licensed seasonal influenzavaccines. Immunogenicity data from the first vaccination in adults are due later this month. The current dosing schedule, as specified in the EMEA mock-up licensure for CELVAPAN using another virus strain, calls for two 7.5 µg doses of vaccine to be given 21 days apart. Baxter expects the data from the trial of healthy adults to indicate whether a single dose may be possible for CELVAPAN H1N1. This study will also determine whether a lower dose, 3.75µg, is sufficient to induce the necessary immune response.

"We are pleased that the regulatory submission and the preliminary clinical trial data uphold the extensive work done by Baxter and the support received from key Ministries of Health in developing a pandemic vaccine," said Hartmut J. Ehrlich, M.D., vice president of global research and development for Baxter BioScience. "We are looking forward to analyzing the immunogenicity data for our cell culture-derived, non-adjuvanted vaccine to assess the potential of a one dose regimen."

About Baxter's Pandemic Vaccine Development

Earlier this year, the EMEA granted mock-up licensure for CELVAPAN using a different strain with pandemic potential, which was tested in five completed clinical trials worldwide in more than 1,300 people. In addition, more than 3,500 people have been vaccinated using the same strain during an ongoing Phase III study. Mock-up licensure is a regulatory pathway for pandemic vaccines that was created by the EMEA in 2004. This pathway allows for the development, evaluation and licensure of a company's pandemic candidate vaccine using an available influenza strain that has the potential to cause a pandemic. Once a pandemic is declared and the influenza virus strain causing the pandemic is identified, the mock-up licensure allows for fast track approval of a pandemic vaccine containing the actual pandemic strain.

Baxter received the H1N1 strain for testing and evaluation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (a WHO Collaborating Center) in early May. The company then undertook pre-production testing and evaluation of the virus strain to assess its growth characteristics in the company's proprietary Vero cell culture technology.

Baxter initiated commercial production in early June, and made its first commercial product within 12 weeks of receipt of the virus. The company produces bulk CELVAPAN H1N1 vaccine at its large-scale commercial facility in Bohumil, Czech Republic, and then sends the vaccine to Vienna, Austria for the final formulation, fill and finish before distribution. Baxter completed production of the first batches of CELVAPAN H1N1 vaccine in late July and initiated its first delivery within two weeks. The company continues to deliver vaccine on an ongoing basis to national public health authorities.

Baxter initiated its license application for CELVAPAN H1N1 in July based on the EMEA published guidelines for pandemic vaccine marketing authorization. The company conducted rigorous testing of the H1N1 based vaccine and submitted additional data for vaccine development, product quality and manufacturing processes specific to that strain. Other non-E.U. countries may choose to evaluate the company's EMEA submission and licensure as the basis for their national health authority's authorization for use of the vaccine.

More information on CELVAPAN H1N1 clinical trials is available here.