H1N1 NEWS SCAN: Vaccine for travelers, entry screening, other vaccine news

Mar 30, 2010

CDC to travelers: Get vaccinated
For those who will be journeying on spring break, to the World Cup, or elsewhere, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidance today advising travelers to get the H1N1 flu vaccine 2 weeks before they leave. Though the document specifically mentions H1N1 risk during the Southern Hemisphere's flu season, the CDC recommends the vaccine for all travelers not yet immunized.
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/travel_h1n1_vaccine.htm
Mar 30 CDC document

Study says entry screening may have worked
Countries that began screening incoming travelers after the World Health Organization issued its pandemic alert last year may have delayed local transmission 7 to 12 days, according to a study today in BMC Infectious Diseases. The authors conclude that entry screening at airports, ports, and border crossings "may lead to short-term delays in local transmission of a novel strain of influenza virus." They added that resources need to be balanced against expected benefits.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/10/82
Mar 30 BMC Infect Dis abstract

Irish leave two thirds of H1N1 vaccine unused
Almost two thirds of the $17 million worth of H1N1 vaccine that Ireland ordered has gone unused, with only 25% of the population getting vaccinated, the Irish Times reported today. The nation's health service was discussing options for the surplus with vaccine maker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Some of the 3 million doses bought by Ireland will remain stockpiled against the risk of a subsequent pandemic wave.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0330/1224267343007.html
Mar 30 Irish Times story

Republic of Georgia receives its first vaccine
The Republic of Georgia is due to receive its first shipment of H1N1 vaccine, according to Eurasianet. About 100,000 doses of GSK vaccine are expected to arrive in the country by the end of March. A Georgian health official said the country has not been hit as hard as its neighbors, thanks to early detection, disease containment, and treatment of cases. It has logged fewer than 1,300 H1N1 cases.
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav032910.shtml
Mar 29 Eurasianet report

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