H1N1 News

News, US Government and UN Updates, and Medical Advice For Health Care Providers

H1n1 In The News

• Radiographic and CT findings in pandemic swine-origin influenza A (H1N1). - Authors: Theodorou DJ, Theodorou SJ, Tsoumani A, Gossios K, Akritidis N PMID: 20206868 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: European Journal of Internal Medicine)

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• Localised H1N1 outbreaks continue - Experts warn local outbreaks of swine flu could remain across Europe this year as the weather changes. (Source: Pharmacy Europe)
• NOVAVAX Completes Enrollment Of Pivotal H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Clinical Trial In Mexico - Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) announced that the enrollment of over 3,500 subjects in Mexico has been completed in Stage B of its pivotal 2009 H1N1 virus-like-particle (VLP) pandemic influenza vaccine study. With the 1,000 subjects already enrolled in Stage A of the trial, the enrollment in this pivotal trial is now complete with over 4,500 subjects. In this Stage B of Novavax's pivotal study of H1N1 influenza vaccine candidate, a cohort of 3,500 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 64 years old were enrolled... (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)
• NOVAVAX Completes Enrollment Of Pivotal H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Clinical Trial In Mexico - Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) announced that the enrollment of over 3,500 subjects in Mexico has been completed in Stage B of its pivotal 2009 H1N1 virus-like-particle (VLP) pandemic influenza vaccine study. With the 1,000 subjects already enrolled in Stage A of the trial, the enrollment in this pivotal trial is now complete with over 4,500 subjects... (Source: Immune System / Vaccines News From Medical News Today)
• Prior infection with classical swine H1N1 influenza viruses is associated with protective immunity to the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus - Conclusions These findings indicate that in experimental animals recently induced immunity to 1918-derived H1N1 seasonal influenza viruses, and to a 1976 swine influenza virus, afford a degree of protection against the 2009 pandemic virus. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of accumulating data suggesting partial protection of older persons during the 2009 pandemic. (Source: Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses)

US Government Feed

• Weekly FluView Map and Surveillance Report for Week Ending Feb 27, 2010 - During week 8 (February 21-27, 2010), influenza activity remained at approximately the same levels as last week in the U.S.
• WHO Updates International H1N1 Flu Situation - As of 28 February 2010, worldwide more than 213 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 16455 deaths.
• CDC Estimates of 2009 H1N1 Influenza Cases, Hospitalizations and Deaths in the United States, April 2009 to January 16, 2010 - Estimating the number of individual flu cases in the United States is very challenging because many people with flu don't seek medical care and only a small number of those that do seek care are tested.
• FDA Issues Final Guidance to Boost Development of Cell-based Viral Vaccines - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued final guidance to help manufacturers who are developing safe and effective cell-based viral vaccines to address emerging and pandemic threats.
• ACIP Provisional Recommendations for the Use of Influenza Vaccines - On February 24, 2010, the ACIP voted on updated recommendations for use of trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine for the 2010-2011 influenza season.

UN Feed

• Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 90 - As of 28 February 2010, worldwide more than 213 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 16455 deaths.
• Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 89 - As of 21 February 2010, worldwide more than 213 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 16226 deaths.
• Director-General statement following the seventh meeting of the Emergency Committee - The Emergency Committee held its seventh meeting by teleconference on 23 February 2010. The Director-General sought the Committee's views on the determination of the pandemic status.
• Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 88 - As of 14 February 2010, worldwide more than 212 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 15921 deaths.
• Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 87 - As of 7 February 2010, worldwide more than 212 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 15292 deaths.

Medical News

• AAAAI: Egg Allergy No Bar to Flu Shot - NEW ORLEANS -- Most children with egg protein allergies who received influenza vaccinations had no adverse reactions, researchers said here.
• CDC Committee Urges Expanded Flu Vaccination - All people over the age of 6 months should get an annual influenza vaccination, a CDC committee said.
• WHO Says Add H1N1 to Next Season's Trivalent Vaccine - The trivalent influenza vaccine for the 2010-2011 flu season in the Northern Hemisphere should include the pandemic H1N1 strain, the World Health Organization recommended.
• Scant Support for Flu Vaccines in Older Patients - The practice of targeting influenza vaccine to older people has only poor-quality supporting evidence that fails to show a clear benefit or harm, authors of a systematic review concluded.
• Standard Antiviral Dose Appears Okay for Severe H1N1 - Critically ill patients with pandemic H1N1 influenza probably do not need a higher dose of oseltamivir (Tamiflu), researchers found.