(0830 HRS PST)
The next update will be on Thursday August 20th, at 08:30am PST.
The WHO Pandemic Alert level remains at Phase 6
Local/National News
According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Canadians need an independent flu "czar" who can cut across borders and direct provinces to follow orders in fighting the swine flu pandemic this fall. Paul Hébert, editor-in-chief of journal, said this person would have the power to quickly move equipment and health care staff between provinces in the event the H1N1 pandemic turns more sinister this fall. Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, speaking Monday at the Canadian Medical Association conference in Saskatoon, said the country's pandemic preparedness plan is working well but needs to be tweaked. She refused to answer any questions about the CMAJ's call for a health czar. The Globe and Mail
As Prime Minister Stephen Harper begins a tour of the North, Inuit leaders are expressing concern that their people will be among the worst hit by H1N1 when the flu season arrives in Canada. Many of the high-risk groups that have been identified for H1N1, such as pregnant women, youth, and those living in close quarters, make up significant percentages of the Inuit population. The Globe and Mail
International News
An independent panel set up by the British Department of Health has warned government ministers that plans to make the antiviral drug Tamiflu widely available could do more harm than good, by helping the flu virus to develop resistance to the drug. The British government has pressed ahead with a policy of mass prescription, fearing the public would not tolerate being told that the millions of doses of Tamiflu held by the state could not be used during a pandemic. The Guardian
The Chinese ministries of education and health have issued strict rules to schools to curb the spread of swine flu, urging them to downsize classes and, in some cases, delay the start of the new academic year. Pupils who display flu symptoms seven days ahead of the new term would only be allowed to go back to school after making a full recovery. Schools were also urged to avoid big gatherings indoors, and to reduce class sizes to prevent the spread of the virus. Khaleej Times
The U.S. CDC has reported evidence of resistance to the antiviral medication Tamiflu in two severely immunosuppressed patients with novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in Seattle, Washington. The two patients were treated in two different hospitals, and their cases were not linked. Both were being treated with Tamiflu for novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection. In both patients, the virus was documented as initially susceptible to Tamiflu, and resistance developed subsequently during treatment with the drug. U.S. CDC
Vaccine News
The British government has decided that people with health conditions such as diabetes, asthma, and heart disease will be the first to receive the swine flu vaccine in October. Priority will also be given to those aged between six months and 65 years old whose health problems could be aggravated by the flu. Next in line for the vaccine after at-risk groups will be all pregnant women and frontline health care workers. The rest of the population will then be vaccinated.
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