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(CIDRAP News) – The World Health Organization (WHO) today issued a list of warning signs of possible severe disease in H1N1 flu patients, while adding its voice to the recent warnings about the virus's threat to pregnant women.

Canadian officials hold off on flu vaccine priority list

(CIDRAP News) – While most vaccine manufacturers have reaped below-average crops of H1N1 influenza vaccine virus from the eggs in which they're grown, MedImmune Inc. has a different problem: high virus yields, but a potential shortage of the devices used to spray the vaccine into the nose.

Editor's note: This story was revised Jul 31 after Besser contacted CIDRAP to say that the date listed for his start at ABC News was incorrect.

(CIDRAP News) – Richard E. Besser, MD, a long-time employee of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who served as the agency's acting director during the beginning of the novel H1N1 virus outbreak, is leaving the agency to work for ABC News.

(CIDRAP News) – Pregnant women who have pandemic H1N1 influenza infection appear to be at greater risk of complications, but some healthcare providers have been hesitant to treat them early with antivirals despite recommendations to do so, researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today.

Jul 28, 2009

(CIDRAP News) – The top US advisory panel on immunizations recommended today that groups totaling up to 159 million people be targeted for vaccination against the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus but that a narrower population of about 41 million have priority if initial supplies are short.

(CIDRAP News) – The immunization advisory group for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) meets tomorrow in an emergency session to discuss which groups should be targeted to receive the pandemic H1N1 vaccine and whether some should have priority.

Pregnant women bear disproportionate share of flu deaths

GAO criticizes choice of Kansas for animal disease lab, report saysA draft report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) used a flawed analysis in deciding to locate a special animal disease laboratory in Manhattan, Kan., the Washington Post reported today. The GAO said DHS greatly underestimated the risk of an accidental release of dangerous pathogens from the lab, as the site is in a tornado-prone area.

Europe plans to streamline H1N1 flu vaccine approval

Jul 24, 2009

(CIDRAP News) – Pandemic H1N1 influenza activity decreased for the fourth consecutive week, though the percentage of deaths from pneumonia and influenza rose a bit above the epidemic threshold, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.

(CIDRAP News) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may review vaccines for the novel H1N1 influenza virus the same way it evaluates the annual updates of seasonal flu vaccines, which would probably lead to faster FDA approval than occurs with brand-new products, an FDA official said in the wake of an FDA advisory committee meeting today.

I bet most of you never thought that your workplace would demand the tools of the military battlefield, including the concept of anticipated casualties, to prepare for an inevitable microbial attack. Well, I'm convinced you will.

Jul 23, 2009

(CIDRAP News) - The World Health Organization (WHO) recently posted surveillance and status updates for regions where the pandemic H1N1 is just gaining a foothold, including the Mideast, Africa, and parts of Asia and the Pacific, which showed Southeast Asia as the hardest hit of those areas.

(CIDRAP News) – Federal health officials today announced plans to launch several clinical trials of pandemic H1N1 vaccines in a race to gather safety and immunogenicity data in time for a possible fall resurgence of the novel virus. In some of the trials, volunteers will receive H1N1 and seasonal flu shots at the same time.

Jul 22, 2009

(CIDRAP News) – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday announced its approval of seasonal influenza vaccines for this year, the annual step that clears the way for manufacturers to start marketing their vaccines.