Global's H1N1 Update - 02/25/10

The next update will be on Tuesday, March 2nd, 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 February 14, 2010

International News

WHO concludes peak of pandemic can’t be determined yet

The World Health Organization’s Emergency Committee has released a statement regarding the end of the H1N1 pandemic peak period: it’s too early to call. The 15-member panel of experts from around the world said that increasing pandemic activity in West Africa, and the potential for a second wave in the southern hemisphere’s coming winter flu season raised too many concerns to safely assume the pandemic peak had passed. CBC News

Vaccine News

Scientists find a healthy use for tobacco

Researchers at Texas A & M University are working on a technique to make and harvest vaccine antigens using tobacco plants. For the last 60 years, almost all vaccines have been developed using viruses cultivated in chicken eggs. It’s a process that takes months to produce a vaccination serum. The tobacco method is cheaper and could shorten that process to a matter of weeks. Scientists hope to begin human trials for the new vaccines in 2011. Wall Street Journal

Global's H1N1 Update - 02/23/10

The next update will be on Thursday, February 25th, 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 February 14, 2010

International News

Seasonal Influenza Conspicuous in its Absence

As H1N1 recedes from the public, the regular flu season presents a mystery. Doctors and researchers all over North America are wondering why the seasonal influenza has been largely absent from this year’s influenza season. Microbiologist Donald Low at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto assumed, as pandemic H1N1 cases decline, other seasonal strains would reassert themselves, saying, “In the past, you have peaks, hills, valleys. This is like the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and it’s been going like this for weeks.” Scientists are considering the possibility that pandemic H1N1 has replaced the seasonal influenza viruses. The Globe and Mail

Vaccine News

WHO chooses the Northern Hemisphere’s next likely seasonal flu strains

On February 18, The World Health Organization (WHO) determined its vaccine recommendations for the coming 2010-2011 influenza season and included protection against pandemic H1N1 in that mix. The seasonal flu vaccine will, as usual, target three strains of influenza virus:

• An A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus (this strain is genetically and anti-genetically similar to pandemic H1N1)


• An A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus (A/Wisconsin/15/2009 is an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)-like virus and is a 2010 southern hemisphere vaccine virus)


• A B/Brisbane/60/2008-like virus.
  

For the vaccine, the WHO examined pandemic A/H1N1, seasonal A and B viruses, and animal viruses with pandemic potential (e.g., the avian A/H5N1 and A/H9N2 strains). World Health Organization

Global's H1N1 Update - 02/18/10

The next update will be on Tuesday, February 23rd, 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 February 7, 2010

International News

A study by the Institute for Women's Policy Research has found that people who were not offered paid sick leave by their employers were more likely to show up for work when ill. Because these people often wind up infecting their co-workers, this may have caused an additional 7 million pandemic H1N1 infection cases and extended the outbreak. The study used data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, and compared employment sectors that offer universal paid sick days to staff with sectors that do not. According to researchers, the “results suggest that the vast majority of employees infected with H1N1 would have stayed home if that were a viable option.” University of Minnesota CIDRAP

Vaccine News

British medical researchers at Oxford University and Nova Bio-Pharma Technologies have discovered a way to keep virus vaccines stable without refrigeration. The World Health Organization estimates it currently spends $200 million per year keeping vaccines refrigerated as they travel from manufacturer to patient. Maintenance of this “cold-chain” constitutes about 20% of each vaccination’s cost. However Matt Cottingham, who led the research project, says this new, relatively cheap and simple process can “greatly reduce cost and hugely improve access to vaccines. You could even picture someone with a backpack taking vaccine doses on a bike into remote villages." Reuters

Global's H1N1 Update - 02/16/10

The next update will be on Thursday, February 18th, 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 February 7, 2010

National News

The Canadian Institute for Health Information, an organization that tracks and analyses data on the Canadian health care system, has released a report on the impact of the H1N1 pandemic. According to the report, in 2009 the H1N1 virus sent more Canadians to intensive care in hospital than has, on average, the seasonal flu. Not only were they more numerous, but hospital patients were 40 years younger than those typically admitted with seasonal influenza. Those who died as a result of H1N1 infection were on average 30 years younger than the seasonal norm. Winnipeg Free Press

International News

The World Health Organization (WHO) will meet on February 18th to decide whether or not the H1N1 virus has moved from its highest level of activity to a post-peak period. WHO influenza chief said “This is a period in which we consider that the pandemic is still continuing,” such as in North Africa and Eastern Europe, but the overall trend reflects seasonal influenza patterns. The shift in status will serve as a trigger for many government and corporate pandemic plans that will allow them to move from response to the current pandemic, to recovery activities and looking to the future. University of Minnesota CIDRAP

Cape Town, South Africa is bracing for its second pandemic wave in July / August with the coming South African winter. The city is also hosting the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament, which has placed an additional burden on preparation efforts for a country whose per capita wealth equals less than a quarter of Canada’s. The month-long tourney is expected to attract 450,000 tourists from around the world. To stave off a potential outbreak, the South African health ministry has acquired 1.3 million doses of H1N1 vaccine and a commitment from the World Health Organization to donate another 3.5 million doses by March. Reuters

According to US public health officials approximately 57 million, or almost one in five, Americans contracted the H1N1 flu virus, almost 260,000 people were hospitalized, and over 11,000 people have died from infection. A survey by the American Centres for Disease Control and Prevention found that about 70 million Americans have been vaccinated against the H1N1 influenza. That means that potentially 41% of the US population may now be immune to the virus. The United States has had one of the lowest uptake rates for H1N1 vaccination and is considered to be one of the hardest-hit amongst developed nations by the pandemic. Washington Post

Global's H1N1 Update - 02/11/10

The next update will be on Tuesday, February 16th, 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 January 31, 2010

National News

There was an increase in the number of influenza-like-illness (ILI) outbreaks reported to doctors in Canada this week: 11 in schools and 1 in a residential institution. However, most ILI school outbreaks are not laboratory-confirmed and based on symptoms only. School outbreaks can be due to any respiratory pathogen such as influenza or the respiratory syncytial virus. Public Health Agency of Canada

International News

In the United Kingdom, the National Pandemic Flu Service is closing due to a sharp decline in the number of reported cases of H1N1 infection. At its busiest, the service provided antiviral medications to 40,000 people per week. Recently, that number has dropped to fewer then 5,000. The Chief Medical Officer for England continued to urge parents, even though there are few H1N1 cases at the moment, to have children six months to five years of age immunized. “Some young children have died,” he said, warning that the virus could return, “and if that happens it will be from a vaccine-preventable illness.” BBC News

The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) held a telephone press conference to brief the media on H1N1 activity. The CDC’s Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases told reporters the main point of the interview was that “H1N1 vaccination remains a good idea for this very preventable and sometimes serious disease.” She noted that, “H1N1 flu activity seems to have leveled off,” but, with regards to whether or not the pandemic were over, warned, “I think it's too soon for us to have that type of complacency.“ CDC

Vaccine News

Ontario public health officials say their province may avoid a third H1N1 pandemic wave entirely. Immunization programs, along with the number of people who have been exposed to H1N1, has boosted the population’s immunity level to a point where the virus may find it difficult to move amongst the public. Since the virus surfaced, 128 people have died in Ontario from H1N1-related illness. Ontario Public Health will be monitoring the number of cases closely in the coming weeks to see if there is any increase. CBC News

Global's H1N1 Update - 02/09/10

The next update will be on Thursday, February 11th, 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 January 31, 2010

National News

As a result of a rapid clinical trial at the Institut national de santé publique du Québec, there may be a change in the guidelines for vaccinating egg-allergic patients against H1N1. Current guidelines recommend that these patients only be vaccinated in the presence of an allergist. The Institut recommended that allergists need not be present, as long as a physician is close by and the vaccine is administered in a hospital setting. After approval from the Quebec Ministry of Health, expanded vaccinations to egg-allergic patients are scheduled to begin. Canadian Medical Association Journal

International News

A study by the Statens Serum Institut in Denmark has shown that the pandemic H1N1 influenza has been especially dangerous for children. The study found a 28% increase in influenza-related deaths among 5- to 14-year-olds above baseline rates. The United States, with 300 million people, has confirmed more than 300 child deaths from H1N1 and says there were likely far more. This number of child deaths is more than double the numbers seen during the annual seasonal flu. The Vancouver Sun

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the count of H1N1 flu cases with resistance to oseltamivir (Tamiflu) worldwide now numbers 225. Resistant viruses have spread from person to person in several clusters but not spilled into the community at large. The WHO, in the current issue of its Weekly Epidemiological Record, said many of these cases involved people with severely weakened immunity, reinforcing the importance of monitoring for the problem in such patients. CIDRAP

Vaccine News

With winter approaching in the southern hemisphere, Australian authorities are urging parents to immunize their children as they brace for what will be their second pandemic wave. New South Wales chief health officer Kerry Chant recalled that during the first wave, “What we saw with swine flu [in 2009], was a younger age group hit hard, the nought to fives hit particularly hard.'' According to the Australian Medical Association, 1,267 people in total with H1N1 were admitted to hospital in New South Wales between May and September of 2009. Children numbered 600 of these, many suffering severe complications and some requiring intensive care. The Australian

Global's H1N1 Update - 01/04/10

The next update will be on Tuesday, February 9th, 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 January 24, 2010

National News

The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care is investigating 17 cases of patients falling seriously ill after receiving vaccinations for H1N1 influenza. Four of the cases involve Guillian‑Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder resulting in weakness or paralysis. Of the GBS cases, two occurred in Markham, Ontario. Health Canada has pulled from circulation one lot of the vaccine suspected of causing more allergic reactions than other batches. Toronto Sun

International News

The International Society for Infectious Diseases is holding its 14th International Congress on Infectious Diseases in March. At the convention, over 120 speakers from approximately 100 different countries will give talks on subjects ranging from HIV and influenza, to antibiotics and epidemiology. The five-day event will be held in Miami, Florida. ISID

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) program to deliver developed nations’ surplus H1N1 vaccine supplies to poorer countries has been overwhelmed. “Holy moly, it’s a very complex operation,” said the WHO’s pandemic influenza chief in describing the myriad logistical issues in distributing and administering the vaccine. Microsoft entrepreneur Bill Gates, whose charitable foundation focuses on combating infectious diseases in developing nations, was dismissive of the program. “It’s not practical; they have no infrastructure to deliver it [the vaccine shipments].” Infection rates of H1N1 have waned recently in North America and Western Europe, but North Africa, Central Asia, and parts of Eastern Europe still show infection rates on the rise. New York Times

Vaccine News

British medical journal The Lancet has published a retraction of a flawed 1998 research paper that supposed a causal link between childhood vaccinations and autism. A spokesman for the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the retraction “builds on the overwhelming body of research by the world’s leading scientists that concludes there is no link between MMR vaccine and autism.” A British disciplinary panel concluded the paper’s lead researcher acted dishonestly and violated basic research ethics. After the study was published, vaccination rates in Britain plummeted and the number of the measles cases soared; however, the rate of occurrence for autism cases has remained unchanged. New York Times

Global's H1N1 Update - 2/2/10

The next update will be on Thursday, February 4th, 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 January 24, 2010

National News

The federal government has announced that Canada will donate 5 million doses of its excess H1N1 vaccine to the World Health Organization. The federal Public Health Agency was criticized for lagging behind other developed nations like the United States, Brazil, Norway, Britain, and Australia who pledged to donate vaccine supplies in September. Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq and Dr. David Butler-Jones, the nation's chief public health officer, say they wanted to be sure Canada’s needs were met before committing to give vaccine away. CanWest News Service

International News

Nigerian authorities recorded their country’s first H1N1-related death in January. Nigerian Minister of Health Babatunde Osotimehin said a 38-year-old woman who had tested positive for H1N1 died on January 5. He said there was another suspected pandemic influenza fatality, but that patient had died before samples could be taken. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has 11 confirmed cases of H1N1 infection. CTV News

Egypt’s health ministry has confirmed its first four cases of H5N1 avian influenza in 2010. The cases are not epidemiologically related, though each one involved contact with infected poultry. All four patients are in stable condition and recovering. Global health experts are concerned that more education efforts are required in Egypt. Many farmers believe there is little risk in poultry-handling activities such as slaughtering birds. The country recorded 39 cases on H5N1 in 2009 up from 8 in 2008. CIDRAP

Vaccine News

Vaccine manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur has found antigen levels in six lots of its H1N1 vaccine were below their specified limits and issued a voluntary recall of the batches. The American Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration each reviewed the recall, which includes five lots of pediatric pre-filled syringes and one lot of adult pre-filled syringes. They agreed that the drop in potency is unlikely to result in a significant reduction in immune response to the virus among those who have received doses from the recalled groups. CDC