H1N1 NEWS SCAN: Unused vaccine, activity in New Zealand, reviewing first UK cases, virus adaptations

H1N1 2009 Pandemic Influenza

Jul 1, 2010

US may destroy 43% of H1N1 vaccine
About 40 million doses of H1N1 vaccine worth $260 million have expired and will be destroyed, and 30 million more will expire later and may also be tossed, according to an Associated Press (AP) story. This would amount to more than 43% of all US vaccine made. "Although there were many doses of vaccine that went unused, it was much more appropriate to have been prepared for the worst-case scenario than to have had too few doses," said Bill Hall of the Department of Health and Human Services.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sns-ap-us-med-swine-flu-vaccine,0,5741086.story
Jul 1 AP story

New Zealand sees rise in flu activity
New Zealand is seeing gradually increasing flu activity to a level typically seen at this time of year, its Ministry of Health (MOH) reported today in its weekly update. Although the country is still below the baseline influenza level for flu season, it is experiencing pandemic H1N1 flu in communities and offering free vaccine to all those in at-risk groups. Of the influenza viruses typed, most are pandemic H1N1, with some seasonal H3N2.
http://www.surv.esr.cri.nz/PDF_surveillance/Virology/FluWeekRpt/2010/FluWeekRpt201025.pdf
Jul 1 New Zealand MOH update

Study highlights first cases in Britain
A study today in Epidemiology and Infection detailed 392 of the first UK pandemic H1N1 cases, including 14 patients who were hospitalized, 3 on mechanical ventilation. Patients were young (median age 15 years) and symptoms were similar to seasonal flu, except that 27% had diarrhea. Also, 11% had an underlying condition, similar to the general population, and 92% received antiviral drugs. The study found that the antivirals shortened the course of illness from 9 to 5 days.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0950268810001366
Jul 1 Epidemiol Infect abstract

Study tracks pandemic H1N1 adaptation in mammals
To explore how novel viruses adapt to mammals, a team from Russia and St Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis performed a series of genetic experiments on mice with pandemic H1N1 viruses, which isn't lethal to the animals. They published their findings in the Journal of Virology. They found that changes in receptor specificity and interaction of viral polymerase components with host cell factors are the major modulators of virulence that shaped early evolution of novel H1N1.
http://jvi.asm.org/cgi/content/short/JVI.00159-10v1?rss=1
Jun 30 J Virol abstract

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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