(0830 HRS PST)
The next update will be on Thursday August 27th, at 08:30 PST.
The WHO Pandemic Alert level remains at Phase 6
Local/National News
The head of a Manitoba First Nations organization is calling on his fellow chiefs to look to traditional aboriginal medicine to help fight the next wave of H1N1. Acting grand chief Norman Bone of the Southern Chiefs' Organization said he wants to drive home the fact that First Nations have access to traditional remedies to improve their health and treat the flu on their own, rather than waiting for funding announcements. Bone said he's not suggesting people avoid vaccines in favour of traditional medicine. "What I'm also promoting is the use of both methods," he said. Calgary Herald
International News
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has contracted with the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) to perform a comprehensive inventory of mechanical ventilators in every hospital in the United States. A survey is being taken to gain an accurate account of the number of ventilators that would be available in the event of a nationwide pandemic. The AARC clarifies that no relocation of ventilators will be performed as a result of this survey; the information is sought so that the government can acquire or assist in augmenting current ventilator capacity. RT Magazine
Due to growing concerns over the rapidly spreading H1N1 flu virus, some schools have decided to delay the start of the new semester, scheduled for yesterday, to prevent possible mass infections among students. They included three middle, 12 high schools and one international school that have recently reported a total of 38 confirmed infections. The total number of people infected with the flu virus in South Korea reached 3,113 yesterday with additional 188 cases in the day alone. Korea Herald
Two cases of influenza A/H1N1 flu have been registered for the first time in Kyrgyzstan, Sabirjan Abdykarimov, chief sanitary physician of Kyrgyzstan said at a recent meeting. Two citizens of Kyrgyzstan had been taken to the Republican Clinical Infectious Hospital on August 18 with flu-like symptoms. Primary laboratory tests, performed in the republic, have shown that the cases were positive for H1N1. Trend
Vaccine News
The World Health Organization's flu chief is urging drug makers to donate swine flu vaccines to the world's poorest countries, which are more vulnerable in the fight against the pandemic. Dr. Keiji Fukuda said the agency is working hard to lobby the world's rich nations and flu vaccine makers for donations. The WHO says the swine flu virus, also known as H1N1, has killed almost 1,800 people worldwide as of August 13, 2009. AP
Posts
