The next update will be on Thursday, December 3rd, at 0830 hrs PST.
The WHO Pandemic Alert level remains at Phase 6
Influenza A (H1N1) Cases and Deaths
*Cases reported by The World Health Organization (WHO) are as of November 22nd, 2009
National News
Despite evidence that an epidemic peak has been reached by all Canadian provinces and territories, the number of people with flu-like illnesses seeking medical treatment is three times higher than what is normally seen at this time of year. The highest proportion of H1N1 infections is occurring in people under 15 and 40% of deaths are occurring in people age 40 to 65. As well, 40% of those admitted to intensive care, and one-third of those who have died of pandemic H1N1 have not had any pre-existing medical conditions. The Gazette
Chinese officials indicated they would lift the 2009 H1N1-related ban on Canadian pork and pork products from Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta provinces after shutting it out earlier this year. The announcement comes as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrives in Beijing for his first official visit to China. China is an important export market for Canadian pork producers who in 2008 exported 47 million Canadian dollars worth of pork and live swine. Associated Press
International News
Croatia has received its first 140,000 doses of the vaccine against the H1N1 virus and a vaccination program started there on Nov. 27. However, interest in the vaccine among Croatian citizens has been relatively low so far, as many people have said they were not convinced in the safety of the vaccine. Croatia has ordered 1.5 million doses of the vaccine to date. Reuters
The French government has confirmed vaccination centres would stay open seven days a week against six at present to cope with a surge in demand for vaccinations. France has set up some 1,200 centres and after a slow start to their vaccination campaign, doctors have reported a flood of people seeking treatment over the past week, leading to waits of several hours. Student medical interns and army doctors have been called in to help meet the huge demand. Reuters
According to WHO reports, more than 1,000 deaths from the H1N1 virus were officially reported in the past week. More than half of the latest fatalities were reported by health authorities in the Americas region. The winter flu season arrived early in the northern hemisphere this year and continues to be intense across parts of North America and much of Europe. Reuters
South Korea's health authorities will push to vaccinate nearly 40 percent of the country's population against the H1N1 influenza virus as part of a national effort to protect people from the contagious disease. The vaccination will be carried out on a total of 19.5 million people by the end of February. The move comes as demand is growing for vaccination shots amid lingering fears of the influenza which has killed more than 100 people in the country since mid-August. Emirates News Agency
Vaccine News
Six weeks into the H1N1 vaccination effort, provinces and territories have vaccinated 32% of Canadians with the three northern territories reporting 50% rates of immunization. The percentages were calculated based on estimates of doses delivered provided by the provinces and territories and population estimates from Statistics Canada. CTV
With about 360,000 Ottawa residents vaccinated against H1N1 flu, public health officials are turning their attention to fighting the seasonal flu. From December 2nd, some physicians will offer the seasonal flu vaccine, in addition to the H1N1 flu shot, to every resident over six months old. Ottawa’s public health department has received an initial 25,000 doses of the seasonal flu shot. Ottawa Citizen
As British Columbia public health officials announced eight more deaths from H1N1 flu and 93 more hospitalizations in the past week, one individual reportedly died after getting vaccinated and having the H1N1 virus, since the vaccine takes up to two weeks to confer protection. The national rate of adverse events after H1N1 vaccination is 1.8 per 100,000 doses, based on 8.24 million doses across Canada so far. There have been about 175 adverse reactions to the vaccine in B.C. Global BC
Manitoba doctors can now give out the H1N1 flu vaccine. Health Minister Theresa Oswald says the province has enough vaccine to make the shot more widely available. Up until now, the vaccine has only been available at mass immunization clinics. Winnipeg Free Press
Drug giant GlaxoSmithKline says one of its H1N1 vaccines has been certified by the World Health Organization after examining its quality and safety data, making it available for donors to buy for developing countries. The vaccine contains an adjuvant, a chemical compound to boost the immune system. Winnipeg Free Press
Antiviral News
Infectious disease experts worry the H1N1 virus will drive a surge in antibiotic prescribing, potentially leading to more drug-resistant organisms. As Canada enters the normal peak season for flu, doctors are facing a perennial problem: how to distinguish flu from bacterial infections such as meningitis and serious Group A streptococcal infections, which share some of the same symptoms recommended in screening questions for H1N1, including fever, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, and diarrhea. Should doctors face what they term "diagnostic uncertainty," doctors will prescribe the antibiotics as well as an antiviral medicine, such as Tamiflu, just in case. Vancouver Sun
The World Health Organization says there is no evidence to date that Tamiflu-resistant viruses spread outside of two clusters of cases among immunocompromised patients in hospitals in Wales and the United States. Early results suggest the resistant viruses do not spread easily to healthy people, especially those following proper infection control procedures. Health care workers treating people with compromised immune systems need to watch for signs of Tamiflu resistance. If resistance emerges, doctors should use another flu drug, Relenza. To date there have been no cases of H1N1 resistance to Relenza reported worldwide. Canadian Press
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