Global's H1N1 Update - 12/24/09

The next update will be on Tuesday, December 29th, 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 December 20th, 2009

National News

At least 11,516 people around the globe have died from the H1N1 flu virus since the pandemic emerged in April, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported Wednesday. Since its last weekly accounting, reported deaths due to influenza have increased by nearly 1,000. However, the report continued, while the virus remains geographically widespread across Canada and the United States, the overall proliferation of flu-like illnesses has declined substantially and hospitalizations and deaths were dropping. Reuters

International News

According to new research published December 23rd in the online edition of The New England Journal of Medicine, women with suspected or confirmed H1N1 influenza who are pregnant or have delivered within the last 2 weeks should seek prompt and aggressive antiviral treatment and be closely monitored. Researchers concluded that H1N1 influenza can cause severe illness and death in pregnant and postpartum women, and regardless of the results of rapid antigen testing, prompt evaluation and antiviral treatment should be considered for this group. The high, cause-specific, maternal mortality rate suggests that 2009 H1N1 influenza may increase the 2009 maternal mortality ratio. New England Journal of Medicine

Vaccine News

Calgary health officials say that H1N1 vaccine clinics will resume for another six days in the New Year. Three influenza vaccination clinics in Calgary are set to reopen beginning Monday, January 4th. The service will close again on Saturday, January 9th. At that time health officials will determine if there is enough demand to extend the clinics’ hours of operation, said Dr. Judy MacDonald, Deputy Medical Officer of Health in Calgary. Roughly 500,000 people in the Calgary region have been inoculated against the pandemic virus since the mass clinics opened in late October. Calgary Herald

Americans are worried about the safety of the swine flu vaccine and it may not be easy to convince them to get themselves or their children vaccinated, researchers said on Tuesday. According to pollsters, about 60 percent of parents say they plan to get their children vaccinated and 79 percent of adults will try to get the vaccines for themselves, but there is a hard core of resistance that has not been moved by entreaties by the U.S. government. Several studies have shown the H1N1 swine flu vaccine does not cause unusual side effects. Robert Blendon of the Harvard School of Public Health said it is not clear why so many parents are fearful. Reuters