News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – In the largest study of its kind so far to assess how well 2009 H1N1 vaccines performed in the pandemic setting, new findings from seven European countries showed they provided good protection, a result that mirrors early clinical studies.

(CIDRAP News) – The global novel H1N1 influenza situation is drawing closer to the status of a true pandemic but is not there yet, the World Health Organization's (WHO's) lead spokesman on the issue said today.

"Globally we believe we're in phase 5 but are getting closer to phase 6," said Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the WHO assistant director-general for health security and the environment, referring to the WHO's pandemic alert phases.

(CIDRAP News) – In response to concerns from various governments about the possible effects of declaring a full-scale influenza pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) will call on outside experts to consider whether to revise the agency's definitions of pandemic alert phases, a WHO official announced today.

(CIDRAP News) – The World Health Assembly ended today with no indication that the World Health Organization (WHO) would raise the pandemic alert level from 5 to 6, which sparked questions about why the group is holding back in the face of mounting global numbers of those infected with the novel H1N1 influenza virus.

(CIDRAP News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) today said the novel H1N1 influenza (swine flu) virus seems to be more contagious than seasonal flu, but it generally causes "very mild illness" in otherwise healthy people.

The World Health Organization (WHO) listed a global total of 2,500 confirmed cases of swine influenza H1N1 in 25 countries today. That total included 1,204 cases in Mexico, 896 cases in the United States (yesterday's number), 214 in Canada, 88 in Spain, and 34 in the United Kingdom. The death toll remains at 44, including 42 in Mexico and 2 in the United States. [WHO update 22]

The global illness count for the novel H1N1 swine influenza climbed to 2,099 confirmed cases with 44 deaths in 23 countries early today, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported. That included 1,112 cases and 42 deaths in Mexico and yesterday's US count of 642 cases and 2 deaths. Spain reported 73 cases and the United Kingdom 28. [WHO update 19]