(0830 HRS PST)
The next update will be on Tuesday, June 16, at 08:30 PST
The WHO Pandemic Alert level remains at Phase 6
Influenza A (H1N1) Cases and Deaths by Country (as of 8 AM PST, June 15th)
Local/National News
- On June 12th, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) announced that the number of confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) since June 8th has risen to 2978 from 2446. Ontario still has the most cases in Canada (1562), followed by Quebec (611), Saskatchewan (221), Alberta (195), British Columbia (151), Nunavut (96), Nova Scotia (78), Manitoba (56), PEI (3), New Brunswick (2), Northwest Territories (2), and the Yukon (1). Of the Canadian cases thus far, 138 required hospitalization and four deaths have occurred. PHAC
- A Quebec woman in her 50s has become the sixth person to die after contracting the H1N1 flu in Canada, provincial health officials said Sunday. She reportedly had an underlying medical condition. UPI
International News
- On Friday, the WHO released its latest case count for novel H1N1 influenza worldwide: 29,669 cases and 145 deaths in 74 countries, up 1,932 cases and 4 deaths from Wednesday's numbers. Countries reporting the greatest increase in laboratory-confirmed cases since yesterday were Canada (532), Mexico (524), Britain (156), Spain (131), Argentina (87), Australia (83), Japan (33), and China (32). WHO
- On Sunday, a woman with H1N1 flu died in Scotland. This is the first known death of a swine flu patient outside of the Americas. Jacqueline Fleming, 38, had been "ill in hospital for a number of weeks," her family said in a statement Monday. According to the Scottish government the woman did have underlying health conditions. CNN
- The Australian government said Sunday it was ready to raise its H1N1 flu alert as the national tally hit 1,458 cases. Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the whole country would soon move to the "sustain" phase in line with hotspot state Victoria. This phase, Australia's second-highest, gives authorities the power to cancel sports events, close schools and restrict travel, although officials say extreme measures such as closing national borders are unlikely. AFP
Vaccine News
- Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech Ltd hopes to put its H1N1 vaccine through its first clinical trial by the end of July, joining other pharmaceutical firms racing to develop and produce vaccines against the new flu virus. Reuters
- Swiss drugs company Novartis will not give free vaccines against H1N1 flu to poor countries, though it will consider discounts, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. "If you want to make production sustainable, you have to create financial incentives," the FT quoted Novartis Chief Executive Daniel Vasella. Reuters
Latest Guidance from the WHO, the US CDC, PHAC, and the BCCDC
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released Interim CDC Guidance on Day and Residential Camps in Response to Human Infections with the Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus. This document provides interim guidance on suggested means to reduce the spread of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus in day, residential, or overnight camp settings.
Today’s Key Question
Is Influenza A (H1N1) Likely to Stick Around?
According to Richard Besser, a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), influenza A (H1N1) is not expected to go away any time soon. The CDC has reported a declining number of cases of H1N1; however, health officials expect the disease to re-emerge this fall, possibly in a more severe form.
Besser informed epidemiologists at the annual Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists Conference that scientists will be watching the Southern Hemisphere closely as they move into their flu season. They hope to find clues as to the how the virus may behave in North America during the next flu season, which will in turn help to form policy decisions regarding social distancing guidelines and vaccination campaigns.
This summer will also be used to study the impact of the hundreds of school closures that resulted from the agency’s initial guidance to shut down schools upon uncovering suspected swine flu cases. Besser stated that it is important to understand what happens when schools close, where the children go, and whether or not the children are more or less likely to spread infection.
Besser added that his biggest concern is complacency, or the sense that a bullet has been dodged. “I don’t think we can let our guard down” he said. Newsday
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