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(CIDRAP News) A coalition of health policy groups today offered a "good news, bad news" evaluation of the US response to the novel H1N1 influenza epidemic so far.
The good news: The experience has shown that years of pandemic preparation have paid dividends, particularly with regard to coordination, communication, antiviral drugs, and vaccine development.
The irony is hard to miss. Much is being discussed and published about the "lessons learned" from the 2009 pandemic of the novel H1N1 influenza. And I expect the World Health Organization (WHO) will (as I did in my last column) finally call it a pandemic any moment now, based on extensive and growing transmission of the novel influenza virus in Australia and Europe.
(CIDRAP News) In an update on novel influenza developments in Mexico, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today that patterns look like those in the United States and other nations, with cases leveling off nationwide and areas of localized transmission.
Jun 3, 2009
(CIDRAP News) Australian health officials acknowledged today that the novel H1N1 influenza virus has achieved sustained community transmission in the state of Victoria, where 521 cases were reported today, an increase of 126 since yesterday.
(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.
Jun 2, 2009
Jun 1, 2009
May 29, 2009
May 29, 2008 (CIDRAP News) With summer temperatures settling in across the United States, health authorities are conceding that the novel H1N1 flu virus may continue circulating through the summer, rather than quieting down as seasonal flu strains do.
(CIDRAP News) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., today announced plans to introduce legislation designed to improve the nation's response to foodborne illness outbreaks by promoting use of some of the tools that helped Minnesota officials find the sources of two recent widespread Salmonella outbreaks.
May 28, 2009
May 27, 2009
(CIDRAP News) – Sanofi Pasteur announced today that it has received a novel H1N1 influenza vaccine virus from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), moving the company a step closer to starting production of a vaccine.
CDC spokesman Tom Skinner said this afternoon that the agency is also sending the vaccine virus to other manufacturers, located overseas, who should receive the samples within a few days.
(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.
