H1N1 NEWS SCAN: Deaths in India, vaccine in Gambia

H1N1 2009 Pandemic Influenza

Jul 27, 2010

India reports 38 new H1N1 deaths
India reported 548 pandemic flu cases and 38 deaths for the week ending Jul 25, up significantly from 332 cases and 21 deaths the week before, according to the country's Press Information Bureau (PIB) today. The southern states of Maharashtra (19), Kerala (8), and Andhra Pradesh (5) reported the most deaths. All of the newly infected patients contracted the disease within the country.
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=63505
Jul 27 PIB release

Gambia begins vaccination campaign
Gambia's Ministry of Health and Social Welfare announced yesterday that it has started its vaccination campaign against pandemic H1N1 flu in collaboration with the World Health Organization, according to the Daily Observer today. The program will last all week and aims to reach 170,000 people, with priority given to health workers, pregnant women, children, and those with underlying disease.
http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/h1n1-pandemic-vaccination-campaign-begins
Jul 27 Daily Observer 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. USDA suspends southern border livestock imports over New World screwworm threat

    As cattle detections track northward, Mexico recently reported its first human case.

    Lisa Schnirring
    screwworm larva

  3. Meta-analysis: Zika-infected pregnant moms 4 times more likely to have babies with microcephaly

    Five of 22 studies noted that over 50% of newborns had microcephaly, and the same number of studies observed that over 5% had congenital Zika syndrome. 

    Mary Van Beusekom

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. Data suggest COVID-19 reinfections less likely to cause long COVID

    The risk of long COVID was two to three times higher after the initial infection (14.8%) than after first (5.8%) or second (5.3%) reinfections.

    Stephanie Soucheray
    LONG COID

  7. 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

  8. Texas announces more measles cases, including first in Dallas area

    Two cases near the Dallas area are now included in the large outbreak, which now totals 717 cases.

    Lisa Schnirring

  9. 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

  10. Saudi Arabia confirms 9 MERS cases, including hospital cluster

    Since 2023, the country has ramped up MERS-CoV testing as part of sentinel surveillance.

    Lisa Schnirring
    hospital isolation

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