(CIDRAP News) – Influenza reports presented at the Infectious Diseases Society of America's (IDSA's) annual conference today shed light on a range of topics, including vaccine acceptance among healthcare workers (HCWs) and risk factors for hospitalization in small children.
IDSA members discussed their reports in a press teleconference today from the meeting site in Vancouver, B.C., and the organization also released abstracts online.
(CIDRAP News) The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) yesterday issued final estimates for last season's flu vaccine and the 2009 H1N1 monovalent vaccine, confirming a record number of flu vaccine doses distributed.
The CDC's report on the vaccines, published yesterday on its Web site, is a follow-up to preliminary and state-by-state coverage estimates that it issued in April.
(CIDRAP News) Two internationally known health officials yesterday gave their assessment of the global response to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, saying good decisions were made based on what was known early in the outbreak but adding that the experience yielded several important lessons, such as the need for more flexible pandemic plans and the need to communicate more clearly about risks.
Oct 1, 2010
(CIDRAP News) A new study suggests that about half of essential workers, such as police and emergency medical personnel, might be unwilling to work during a serious pandemic. Meanwhile, another study indicates that it's common for employees in private industry to work while sick with flu-like symptoms.
Both studies were published on Sep 25 in an early online edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
(CIDRAP News) The external committee tasked with reviewing the World Health Organization's (WHO's) response to the H1N1 pandemic wrapped up its third round of live meetings in Geneva today, hearing from an array of country and organization health representatives, as well as WHO Director-General Margaret Chan, who strongly defended the organization's response.
(CIDRAP News) Speaking at a Senate committee hearing today, US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said a cell-based seasonal influenza vaccine from Novartis could be on the US market in time for the 2011-12 flu season.
(CIDRAP News) In a look ahead to the coming flu season this fall and winter, federal officials said experts have a good grasp on the strains expected to circulate and plenty of vaccine on hand.
(CIDRAP News) As some of the key provisions of the Obama administration's healthcare reform law took effect this week, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced details of a public health funding component of the law that includes resources to help prevent and manage disease outbreaks.
(CIDRAP News) State and local health departments have significantly improved their readiness for public health emergencies in the past few years, with laboratory capacity and emergency operations centers leading the list of improved areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a major report released today.
