GMS INFLUENZA A (H1N1) Daily Update as of May 9, 2009 (8:30 AM)
Current WHO Pandemic Alert Phase: 5
Influenza A (H1N1) Cases by Country (as of 8 AM PST May 9th)
WHO Regions & Country | Lab Confirmed Cases | Lab Confirmed Deaths | ||
Cases Confirmed on May 8th | Total Cases | Deaths Confirmed on May 8th | Total Deaths | |
AMERICAS | ||||
Mexico | 252
| 1364
| 3
| 45
|
US | 815
| 2254
| 0 | 2
|
Canada | 28
| 242
| 0 | 0 |
El Salvador | 0 | 2
| 0 | 0 |
Costa Rica | 0 | 1
| 0 | 0 |
Columbia | 0 | 1
| 0 | 0 |
Guatemala | 0 | 1
| 0 | 0 |
| Brazil (New)
| 6
| 6
| 0
| 0
|
| Panama (New)
| 1
| 1
| 0
| 0
|
EUROPE | ||||
UK | 2
| 34
| 0 | 0 |
Spain | 7
| 88
| 0 | 0 |
Germany | 1
| 11
| 0 | 0 |
France | 7
| 12
| 0 | 0 |
Austria | 0 | 1
| 0 | 0 |
Netherlands | 1
| 3
| 0 | 0 |
Switzerland | 0 | 1
| 0 | 0 |
Denmark | 0 | 1
| 0 | 0 |
Ireland | 0 | 1
| 0 | 0 |
Italy | 0 | 5
| 0 | 0 |
Portugal | 0 | 1
| 0 | 0 |
Sweden | 0 | 1
| 0 | 0 |
Poland | 0
| 1
| 0 | 0 |
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN | ||||
Israel | 1
| 7
| 0 | 0 |
WESTERN PACIFIC | ||||
Hong Kong | 0 | 1
| 0 | 0 |
New Zealand | 0 | 5
| 0 | 0 |
| Australia (new)
| 1
| 1
| 0
| 0
|
| Japan (new)
| 3
| 3
| 0
| 0
|
SOUTH-EAST ASIA | ||||
Rep. of Korea | 0
| 3
| 0 | 0 |
TOTALS | 918
| 4045
| 3
| 47 |
Local/National News
- According to a survey released Friday, about one in ten Americans has stopped hugging and kissing close friends or relatives because of concerns pertaining to swine flu. Approximately the same number has stopped shaking hands. The survey also reported that about two-thirds of Americans are taking additional measures to prevent the spread of the virus; such measures include washing hands and using hand sanitizers. AP
- WHO experts held a conference call Thursday with Mexican officials to discuss clinical findings in the patients who died from severe swine flu infections.
- Mexican health officials have identified two high-risk groups: previously healthy young people who deteriorated rapidly with acute pneumonia and people with chronic health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease or tuberculosis. CIDRAP
- According to Sylvie Briand, a WHO influenza expert, the organization still has not found any evidence of community transmission of the swine flu virus outside of North America, which would trigger the move from a pandemic influenza alert level of phase 5 to phase 6. Most new cases outside North America represent imported infections linked to travel or infections close contacts of travelers. CIDRAP
International News
- According to a survey released Friday, about one in ten Americans has stopped hugging and kissing close friends or relatives because of concerns pertaining to swine flu. Approximately the same number has stopped shaking hands. The survey also reported that about two-thirds of Americans are taking additional measures to prevent the spread of the virus; such measures include washing hands and using hand sanitizers. AP
- According to Sylvie Briand, a WHO influenza expert, the organization still has not found any evidence of community transmission of the swine flu virus outside of North America, which would trigger the move from a pandemic influenza alert level of phase 5 to phase 6. Most new cases outside North America represent imported infections linked to travel or infections close contacts of travelers. CIDRAP
Antiviral News
- The European Medicines Agency, Europe's so-called drug watchdog, has recommended that the shelf life of Roche's Tamiflu be extended to seven years from five years, due to the outbreak of the new H1N1 virus. Once formally approved by the European Commission, the new guidelines would apply to all newly manufactured Tamiflu capsules. The agency also stated that “Patients who have Tamiflu capsules that have recently expired should not dispose of them because they might be needed during a novel influenza A/H1N1 pandemic”. Reuters
Latest Guidance from the WHO, the U.S. CDC, and PHAC
Today’s Key Question
Will there be a swine flu vaccine in the fall?
Currently, there is no answer to this question. To understand why, we must examine a few key facts about the flu vaccine manufacturing business:
- Flu shots are historically a low-profit business with high fixed manufacturing costs;
- There are only a handful of manufacturers with relatively fixed production capacities;
- The companies which produce seasonal flu vaccine (which is already under production) have stated that they will only produce swine-flu vaccine upon request from health authorities;
Making a swine flu vaccine will likely cost the same as producing seasonal influenza vaccine. However, as there is a fixed capacity, the switch to swine flu vaccine production may decrease the amount of seasonal flu vaccines available. Therefore, health experts have a very difficult decision to make as a “wrong” call could cost lives and waste finite resources; a meeting is scheduled for next Thursday between WHO health experts and vaccine manufacturers and a final decision on this issue is an expected outcome.
So what will the fall vaccine look like? We will have to wait for the word from health authorities to find out.
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