The next update will be on Tuesday, April 6th, 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 March 21, 2010
National News
Nova Scotia pharmacists take on vaccination duties
Health officials in Nova Scotia are preparing an amendment to the province’s Pharmacy Act to allow pharmacists to administer injections in their scope of practice. The move is aimed at relieving some of the workload from Nova Scotia doctors and enabling them to focus on other areas of care. The provincial Health Minister wouldn’t say for certain whether the change would mean user-fees might be charged for the shots. With the support of Doctors Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists has added administering injections to their accreditation curriculum. Currently, pharmacists are training and taking on the new duties on a voluntary basis. Over time, the practice will become the norm. Winnipeg Free Press
International News
Researchers discover avian immunity gene
A research team headquartered at the University of Alberta has isolated a gene that allows ducks’ immune systems to contain the influenza virus without falling ill. Chickens, which lack the gene, can die within 18 hours of infection, but scientists have found a way to transfer the trait from duck to chicken cells and reduce viral replication within chickens by half. The discovery could lead to a breed of H5N1-resistant chickens and suppress the avian flu’s ability spread amongst birds. The Times of India
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