Jan 4, 2010
China logs end-of-year flu increase
All but 6 of China's 659 deaths from H1N1 flu were recorded in the last 2 months of 2009, raising the possibility that the disease is on the upswing, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported today. And China Daily said fears are growing of uncontained spread of flu in China's vast interior, with government efforts focusing on getting equipment and resources to rural provinces in advance of the mass exodus to the countryside to celebrate Lunar New Year next month.
http://health.yahoo.com/news/afp/healthfluchina_20100104101501.html
Jan 4 AFP article
France to sell 89 million vaccine doses
The French government is offering a vast amount of unused H1N1 flu vaccine for sale to other countries and may have found buyers in the Middle East, AFP reported. Of the 94 million doses bought to inoculate each resident two times, only about 5 million were used. Qatar and Egypt, and also Mexico and Ukraine, may be buyers, France's health ministry said. The country has experienced 198 deaths from the flu.
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-world/france-defends-flu-vaccine-surplus-20100105-lqax.html
Jan 5 AFP story
Thailand admits, learns from H1N1 errors
Thailand's health ministry says its actions during the H1N1 pandemic confused people and brought mistrust of the organization, according to The Nation. Among its errors were unclear early messages about the virulence of H1N1, delays in reporting the first death, use of ineffective thermal scanners at airports, mistakenly encouraging people to be tested if they had symptoms, failure to warn high-risk groups of the danger, and misdiagnosis.
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2010/01/02/national/national_30119580.php
Jan 2 The Nation article
Two Chinese deaths not due to vaccine
Two unidentified people who died after being inoculated against H1N1 influenza did not die of vaccine reactions, the Chinese Ministry of Health said today in a report carried by Xinhua. Almost 50 million people have been vaccinated with a vaccine made in China, and about 1 per million has experienced a reaction, but these two deaths were not due to adverse events, the ministry said.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-01/04/content_9262241.htm
Jan 4 China Daily report
Rapid H1N1 diagnostic test gets EUA
Cepheid's Xpert Flu A Panel, which can identify pandemic H1N1 influenza in less than an hour, was given Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) status by the US Food and Drug Administration today. The test runs on the company's GeneXpert System, and the EUA will allow its use in laboratories certified to perform "moderate complexity" testing, which includes hospital labs. The EUA is expected to expire Apr 26.
http://www.cepheid.com/company/news-events/press-releases/index.cfm?releaseID=1370135
Jan 4 Cepheid press release
