H1N1 NEWS SCAN: Unused vaccine, hospitalized children

H1N1 2009 Pandemic Influenza

US has 71 million vaccine doses left
The US has 71 million doses of H1N1 vaccine remaining, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). States should keep offering doses until the seasonal flu vaccine, which will contain the pandemic strain, is available this fall, HHS spokesman Bill Hall said. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has asked HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius how much vaccine is left and when it will expire. Hall said the remaining doses "have varying expiration dates, some as long as early 2011."
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0318959620100503
May 3 Reuters report

H1N1 hospitalized older kids, those with underlying conditions
Children hospitalized with pandemic H1N1 in 2009 were older and more likely to have underlying conditions than children hospitalized with seasonal flu in past years, according to a study presented today at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting. From surveillance data from 10 states, researchers found the median age of hospitalized children to be 5 years for pandemic flu and 1 year for seasonal flu, and H1N1 patients were more likely to have underlying medical conditions.
http://www.abstracts2view.com/pas/view.php?nu=PAS10L1_4007&terms
May 4 PAS study abstract

Czechs used only one-seventh of vaccine
Czechs used only about 100,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine of the 700,000 doses ordered, according to the Czech News Agency. Only about 66,000 people in the country of more than 10 million were vaccinated. Health officials confirmed 102 deaths in the country and estimated that 100,000 people were infected.
http://praguemonitor.com/2010/05/04/hn-most-swine-flu-vaccines-unused-czechs
May 3 Czech News Agency 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. 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

  10. Flu vaccine efficacy 41% overall and 26% in older adults, per 2023-24 estimates

    Estimated effectiveness was 68% against influenza B and 32% against type A.

    Mary Van Beusekom
    Flu shot going into arm

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