H1N1 FLU BREAKING NEWS: Ship outbreak, Tamiflu in the ICU, a preparedness expert's family ordeal

H1N1 2009 Pandemic Influenza

Report details outbreak on Navy ship
An article today in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) describes an outbreak of confirmed novel H1N1 that started aboard a Peruvian Navy ship last June and affected 78 of 355 crew members after the ship had docked in San Francisco. No serious complications or deaths occurred, and lower-ranking crew had a higher incidence. Six patients with preexisting conditions received antivirals. A surveillance program implemented before the ship departed from Peru permitted early detection.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5906a3.htm?s_cid=mm5906a3_e
Feb 19 MMWR report

Study: Tamiflu works well in very ill patients
A study determined that oseltamivir (Tamiflu) was well absorbed in critically ill intensive-carepatients with suspected or confirmed pandemicH1N1 flu. The study, of 41 patients who needed ventilator support, appeared in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). A standard dosage of 75 mg twice daily achieved bloodstreamlevels of the drug that were comparable to those in other patientsand were far in excess of concentrations required to be effective against the virus.
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/abstract/cmaj.092127v1
Feb 16 CMAJ study

Planner's ordeal highlights toll on kids
A pandemic preparedness expert's ordeal with novel H1N1 flu in her own kids highlights the pandemic's toll on children, according to USA Today. Her daughters' conditions—one has autism and epilepsy and one has asthma—increased treatment difficulty. And her expertise intensified her worry. "I knew what was happening medically. I've read the autopsy reports. Seeing those was scary," she says. The girl with asthma, who is 13, may take months to recover. The other girl, 10, has recovered.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-02-18-flukids18_ST_N.htm
Feb 17 USA Today story

This week's top reads

  1. FDA significantly limits COVID-19 vaccine recommendations

    Critics said today’s announcement is more evidence of the current administration’s willingness to undermine public trust in vaccines.

    Stephanie Soucheray
    FDA building

  2. Woman dies of Creutzfeldt-Jakob almost 50 years after taking prion-contaminated growth hormone

    The patient, who presented with gait imbalance and tremors, wasn't diagnosed until she was in a coma, shortly before she died.

    Mary Van Beusekom
    Woman in hospital bed

  3. HHS expected to discontinue COVID vaccine recommendations for some groups

    When CDC advisers widened their recommendation in 2023, most members were swayed by data, including those for long COVID, showing that no group is at low risk for the virus.

    Lisa Schnirring

  4. WHO advisers say current strains OK for COVID vaccine production

    Current vaccine strains show high neutralization against the latest variants, but the LP.8.1 antigen may provide similar or moderately higher cross-reactive antibody response.

    Lisa Schnirring
    senior vaccination

  5. US measles outbreak grows to 1,024 cases

    Texas remains the country's hot spot, with 718 cases. 

    Chris Dall
    Doctor treating child with measles

  6. Moderna pulls licensing submission for combo flu-COVID vaccine

    Moderna's combination vaccine was intended for adults 50 and older. 

    Stephanie Soucheray

  7. Mpox activity escalates in Sierra Leone

    Responding to the surge is a major focus, partly to prevent the spread to other West African countries. 

    Lisa Schnirring
    mpox virus

  8. FDA vaccine advisers recommend sticking with JN.1 strain for next COVID vaccines

    The group weighed considerations about newer variants and raised concerns that a strain recommendation might interface with the FDA's new proposed COVID vaccine framework.

    Lisa Schnirring
    woman vaccinated

  9. Viewpoint: Making key COVID vaccine decisions without input, transparency is a public disservice

    Newly announced rules that limit the use of COVID vaccines suggest that federal officials are opposed to open discussion and transparency.

    Vaccine Integrity Project Staff and Advisers
    COVID vaccine vial and syringe

  10. 'A national scandal': US excess deaths rose even after pandemic, far outpacing peer countries

    The United States has been in a "protracted health crisis" for decades, the researchers say.

    Mary Van Beusekom
    Grave markers with flowers

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