GMS Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Update as of July 30th, 2009
(0830 HRS PST)
The next update will be on Tuesday August 4th, at 08:30 PST.
The WHO Pandemic Alert level remains at Phase 6
- The head of the Federation of Canadian Cities has charged that Canada has no national plan for protecting critical frontline workers such as police, firefighters, and transit workers. In an open letter to federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, Basil Stewart said Canada's pandemic plan does not say who will have priority access to vaccines and antivirals. A spokesman for Aglukkaq said ongoing epidemiologic studies will guide vaccine allocation. Globe and Mail
- A majority of Canadians support the way the government has handled the Pandemic H1N1 flu issue, according to a new poll. The Ekos poll, commissioned for the CBC and released Thursday, suggests that 52 per cent of respondents said they support the government's response to the outbreak of the virus, compared to 31 per cent who disapprove. CBC
- According to Nova Scotia’s auditor general, Jacques Lapointe, the province is not as ready as it could or should be. Although Considerable time and effort have gone into preparations, he said, there are several areas that still require work to ensure an effective response. For example, the province does not have an adequate stockpile of medical supplies to protect health-care workers. CBC
International News
- A World Health Organization (WHO) spokeswoman said recently that the agency will host a technical teleconference soon to discuss antiviral use during the H1N1 pandemic and the risks of antiviral resistance. Countries vary in their use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu). Some use it widely for prevention and treatment of mild cases, while others are reserving it for infections in high-risk groups and for severe cases. So far, five antiviral-resistant cases have been identified. AFP
- El Salvador announced it will extend a scheduled school vacation to 2 weeks to fight the spread of the H1N1 flu. School vacations that began recently and last from 2 days to a week, depending on the region, will be extended until Aug 10. The action will affect nearly 2 million students. AP
- Chinese authorities assert that their aggressive quarantine policy to prevent foreign visitors from spreading H1N1 flu has worked well. Officials say China has had few cases and proudly note that no deaths have been reported. But according to the NY Times an American woman who said her surgery for appendicitis was delayed because of the quarantine policy. More than 1,800 Americans have been quarantined in China since the start of the pandemic. New York Times
- About 6% of pandemic H1N1 deaths in the United States have occurred in pregnant women, though they make up just 1% of the population. The numbers are based on 266 detailed death reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has received. Fifteen deaths occurred in pregnant women. The CDC's vaccine advisory committee will meet soon and is expected to list pregnant women among the high-priority groups to receive the pandemic H1N1 vaccine. AP
- The World Health Organization is discussing with South Africa's government how to reduce the risk of H1N1 influenza spreading at next year's soccer World Cup, a spokeswoman for the United Nations agency said Tuesday. The tournament will be played in June and July 2010 -- the height of the seasonal flu period in the southern hemisphere winter. Reuters
- Britain's Department of Children, Schools and Families has come under fire for issuing recommendations that nurseries and "childminders" remove communal soft toys from care settings to help contain the spread of H1N1 flu, saying the toys cannot be cleaned adequately. The agency also recommended that crayons and pencils not be shared and large assemblies be suspended. Defenders of the guidance say it is sensible but should be administered sensitively so as not to upset children. The Times
Vaccine News
- An Associated Press-GfK Roper poll suggests that about 63% of American parents are likely to allow their children to receive the pandemic H1N1 vaccine, but only 51% of adults would probably receive the immunization themselves. Only 43% said they were concerned that they or a family member might contract the new flu virus. The telephone poll, conducted in mid July and released yesterday, included 1,006 adults, of whom 296 were parents. AP-GfK flu poll
- Canadian health officials anticipate using an adjuvant to address the possible need to stretch supplies of an H1N1 influenza vaccine this fall. Neither Canada nor the United States have licensed flu vaccines with adjuvants before. Health Canada has worked with GlaxoSmithKline on safety studies of the AS03 adjuvant for H5N1 vaccine and is urging the company to do a small trial with an H1N1 vaccine. US officials have been more circumspect on the subject. Canadian Press
- The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the top US advisory panel on immunizations recommended yesterday that groups totaling up to 159 million people be targeted for vaccination against the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus, but that a narrower population of about 41 million have priority if initial supplies are short. ACIP picked five target groups for initial immunization because of their increased risk of H1N1 infection or complications or their contact with vulnerable people: pregnant women, household contacts of babies under 6 month of age, healthcare and emergency medical services workers, those between 6 months and 24 years of age, people between 25 and 64 years who have chronic medical conditions. CIDRAP
Antiviral News
- Canada's health ministry recently approved an interim order authorizing the use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) in children younger than 1 year, despite limited safety data. As in the United States, the drug previously had been approved only for use in patients older than 1. The Public Health Agency of Canada requested the action because infants seem to be at higher risk for novel H1N1 flu complications. Canwest News Service
- Japan has detected two more cases of Tamiflu-resistant pandemic H1N1 flu, Alexander Klimov, PhD, of the CDC's flu surveillance branch, revealed at the CDC's vaccine advisory committee yesterday. He also said that Chinese officials revealed during a World Health Organization conference call that they may have one more antiviral-resistant case. Klimov said all cases so far have been linked to Tamiflu prophylaxis or treatment, except for one involving an American girl who was diagnosed in Hong Kong. ACIP meeting
Guidance and Recommendations
- The Government of Canada has released three guidance documents for health care workers and emergency responders to prevent and control infections of H1N1 influenza, Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq and Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. David Butler-Jones, stated. The guidance documents are for workers in acute care facilities, long term facilities, and for emergency response workers including paramedics, ambulance attendants, police officers and firefighters.
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