News & Perspective

As the world recovers its bearings after spikes in pandemic flu activity and anticipates how the upcoming flu season will unfold, antiviral and vaccine experts in Atlanta today plotted out the new prevention and treatment tools public health officials may someday use to fine-tune their disease responses.

(CIDRAP News) – While donor countries and organizations have responded well to the need for pandemic flu vaccine for developing countries, the level of giving for other pandemic response efforts in needy countries so far has fallen short, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a recent report.

(CIDRAP News) – Pandemic flu activity remained low in most parts of the world, though some areas such as Caribbean countries continued to see active transmission, with increased activity reported in a few areas, including Colombia and parts of India, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

(CIDRAP News) – Low levels of flu activity across the United States resemble a summer pattern, while globally only sporadic pandemic flu activity is occurring with the most active areas in parts of the Caribbean and Central America, according to updates today.

(CIDRAP News) – Though pandemic flu activity stayed stable in most parts of the world, Chile is reporting new detections of the pandemic virus in at least three regions in advance of the start of its flu season, with other hot spots occurring in Bangladesh and parts of Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.

(CIDRAP News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday reported moderately active pandemic influenza activity in parts of the tropical regions of Asia, the Americas, and Africa, as well as influenza B activity in much of East Asia.

(CIDRAP News) – Though pandemic flu is circulating at low levels in many parts of the world, Thailand and some West African nations are reporting increased activity, and the virus is being edged out by influenza B in China and other Asian regions, with signs of westward spread, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today.

(CIDRAP News) – The first wave of H1N1 vaccine will probably consist of 3.4 million doses of MedImmune's nasal-spray product and is likely to reach providers the first week in October, federal health officials said today.

(CIDRAP News) – So far this year no new countries have been hit by H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks, and fewer previously affected countries have reported fresh outbreaks, but the threat of an influenza pandemic has not changed, according to a recent progress report from the United Nations (UN) and the World Bank.