The New York Times examines the WHO’s role as a “clearinghouse” for getting the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine to lower income nations. Though H1N1 has died down in North America and many wealthier nations “are trying to get rid of their [vaccine] surpluses,” the virus continues to circulate in regions of North Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, according to the newspaper…
Antiviral drugs block influenza A viruses from reproducing and spreading by attaching to a site within a proton channel necessary for the virus to infect healthy cells, according to a research project led by Iowa State University’s Mei Hong and published in the Feb. 4 issue of the journal Nature. Hong, Iowa State’s John D. Corbett Professor of Chemistry and an associate scientist for the U.S…
Providing preventive Tamiflu and educating and emphasizing the need for repeated hand sanitizer use and disinfectant spray helped stop the spread of H1N1 influenza at a boys’ summer camp in northern Alabama, according the co-director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. David Kimberlin, M.D…
Current research suggests that pandemic H1N1 influenza of swine origin has distinct means of transmission from the seasonal flu, yet does not result in the pathogenic severity of avian flu viruses…
The Swine Flu Vaccination programme is moving into its final phase, where Swine Flu vaccine is being made available to the general population through HSE Clinics nationwide. Anyone in the target groups* who has not yet been vaccinated is advised to come to a HSE clinic for their vaccine before March 31st…
Romark Laboratories announced that it has initiated enrollment of patients in a clinical trial of Alinia® (nitazoxanide) for treating acute uncomplicated influenza including illness caused by the currently circulating H1N1 strain…
A study that looked at how people behave during pandemics has identified key demographic and psychological factors that may predict protective behaviours. The study is published online, in the British Journal of Health Psychology…
The Government of Canada announced it will make a donation of five million doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine, as well as a $6 million contribution to support the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global pandemic relief efforts. The five million vaccine doses amount to 10% of Canada’s total vaccine order, a donation which is in line with that of other developed countries…
The Canadian government on Thursday announced the country would donate five million doses of H1N1 vaccines to the WHO from the country’s current surplus, the Canadian Press reports (Branswell, 1/28)…
Published reports on the usefulness of CT scans for complicated H1N1 cases have spurred use of these procedures in U.S. hospitals. According to healthcare market research publisher Kalorama Information, this opens up a pathway of diagnostics for physicians and overall is a positive sign not only for the technology but also for companies making chemical agents for procedures…