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 March 7, 2010
National News
The Canadian government has announced it is planning to overhaul its vaccine supply system. GlaxoSmithKilne, the only company with a flu vaccine plant in Canada, is the government’s sole flu vaccine supplier. The single-source system came about when officials worried that a pandemic outbreak would prompt countries to close their borders, blocking potential vaccine shipments. GlaxoSmithKine ran into production delays last year with its H1N1 vaccine, and its ten-year contract expires next year. In a notice to the drug industry, health officials said they wanted to consider “a second pandemic supply contract,” and look into “additional suppliers for seasonal influenza vaccine, as necessary.” The Globe and Mail
One month after the Vancouver Olympics, three months after the H1N1 pandemic peak in Canada, and four months after the Auditor General accused Ottawa of being unprepared to respond to emergencies, the federal government has adopted its Federal Emergency Response Plan. The plan outlines emergency management roles and responsibilities of federal institutions in case of man-made or natural disasters, including floods, forest fires, terrorist attacks and pandemics. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said a plan has always been in place, but now it’s been formalized. Auditor General Sheila Fraser says that was not so and that in November the plan was still incomplete though the ministry was created in 2003. CBC News
Vaccine News
In an update to a related story, Fraunhofer USA’s Center for Molecular Biotechnology has been awarded a $4.4 million research grant. The funding will allow the non-profit research organization to begin clinical trials for its plant-based flu vaccines. The American Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is backing the project to enable a more rapid response to military and civilian disease threats. Fraunhofer USA’s Press Release
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