Influenza A (H1N1) Cases and Deaths*
*Cases reported by The World Health Organization (WHO) are as of February 21, 2010
International News
Brazil gears up to shut out H1N1
The Brazilian Health Ministry has announced its plan to begin a massive operation in early March to vaccinate 90 million of its citizens against H1N1 infection. “This will be the largest campaign in the world,” said the Brazilian Health Minister. In 2009, H1N1 infected 39,679 Brazilians. The death tolled climbed to 1,705. China Daily
H1N1 could develop drug resistance
If pandemic H1N1 evolves along similar lines as seasonal flu strains, it will likely develop the same resistance to oseltamivir (Tamiflu) that is widespread in seasonal influenza. The mixing of pandemic and seasonal strains (reassortment) in areas where they co-circulate could speed the evolution of resistance, say researchers at Ohio State University in a study in the International Journal of Health Geographics: “Reassortment and, more likely, point mutation have the potential to create a strain of pandemic H1N1 against which we have a reduced number of treatment options.” International Journal of Health Geographics
Vaccine News
US parents fear vaccine side-effects despite research evidence
More and more studies are coming out that discredit the link between autism and vaccination. The British medical journal The Lancet recently retracted a paper it published when they found that the study was flawed and its researchers were facing disciplinary sanctions for conducting the study unethically. Despite this, the American Pediatrics journal found in a recent poll that one-in-four American parents still harbour concerns about the safety of vaccines. CTV News
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