GMS Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Update as of July 28th, 2009
(0830 HRS PST)
The next update will be on Thursday July 30th, at 08:30 PST.
The WHO Pandemic Alert level remains at Phase 6
Local/National News
- Canadian health officials are deciding on how much pandemic flu vaccine will be needed in the country this fall. Dr. Arlene King, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, said Monday the order must be placed by the end of the month, and that officials are working on a firm number of how many people will want or need the vaccine. King noted the whole vaccine order will not be ready at the same time, but said officials expect the vaccine to first become available in mid-November. CBC
- Dalhousie university is stepping up its recommendations to fight the flu by encouraging students to keep their distance from one another. The university also advises students to avoid shaking hands, hugging or kissing, hold meetings over the phone, maintain a one-metre distance when meeting in person. CBC
International News
- The United Kingdom's Health Protection Agency (HPA) estimated yesterday that the nation had 100,000 new cases of H1N1 flu in the past week, up from 55,000 the week before. The estimate is based on medical-visit rates for flu-like illness. Children up to age 14 were the age-group most affected, with people older than 65 showing much lower rates, the HPA said. Most cases continued to be mild. HPA pandemic flu update
- Approximately 1 in 6 public health workers said they would not report to work during a pandemic flu emergency regardless of its severity, according to a survey led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Newswise
- The global flu pandemic is still in its early stages the World Health Organization's flu chief said Friday. WHO earlier estimated that as many as 2 billion people could become infected over the next two years — nearly one-third of the world population. AP
- Mexico's first known H1N1 flu case was in a 6-month-old baby girl from San Luis Potosi in the northern part of the country. Previously the country's first patient was thought to be a 5-year-old boy who lived near a pig farm in eastern Mexico or a woman from Oaxaca in the southeast. The baby girl first showed symptoms in late February, a Mexican lab official told AFP. AFP
- The Web component of Britain's national flu line, which launched yesterday alongside a telephone service, crashed on Thursday after receiving about 9.3 million hits per hour. The system was reportedly back online a short time later. The system is designed to relieve pressure on doctors' offices by diagnosing novel flu cases over the phone and issuing patients code numbers that allow them to obtain oseltamivir (Tamiflu). Telegraph
Vaccine News
- Europe's drug regulators are fast-tracking the approval process for novel H1N1 vaccines, which could mean they would be used before much human testing is done. Though flu vaccines in the EU usually get thorough testing, authorities plan to evaluate H1N1 vaccines largely based on previous data for H5N1 avian flu vaccines, since both types have the same basic ingredients. Regular safety monitoring will be required as the vaccines are used. AP
- A trade bloc of seven South American nations on Jul 24 demanded exemptions from paying patent fees for vaccines and drugs against the pandemic H1N1 virus. They urged the application of a World Trade Organization intellectual property provision to relax patent rules to protect public health. Argentine President Cristina Kirchner said that though suspending patents could save millions of lives, she wasn't suggesting that the vaccines should be produced for free. AFP
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
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