News tagged with 'Pandemic'

The swine flu is expected to make a comeback when students return to school beginning next month, earlier than the normal flu season in October or November. And the flu vaccine likely will not yet be ready. 

The World Health Organization says the swine flu is "unstoppable" and that healthcare workers should be the first ones vaccinated. This influenza is different from seasonal flu in that it affects young people, the severely obese, and adults and strikes deep in the lungs and drug makers are receiving millions to formulate a vaccine. 

The CDC is working on a vaccination campaign to encourage all 300 million Americans be vacciniated against the swine flu which health officials admit cannot be contained. 

The World Health Organization has officially raised the swine flu level to its highest - Phase 6, which means it is being transmitted within communities in more than two countries. The increased alert refers to transmission, not severity, though mutations to the virus are expected. 

Three people have died in the United States from the H1N1 virus. The most recent death was a man in Washington over the weekend. The CDC reports today that the confirmed cases of the virus have risen to 2,618 in the U.S.

Mexico City is imposing new rules that keep people away from each other in normally crowded places such as restaurants and movie theatres -  all to stop the spread of the swine flu that has killed 42 in that country. 

While the number of cases of swine flu in the U.S. continues to grow and is now confirmed at 109, health officials are warning us not to panic. As a precaution, many of Mexico City businesses and schools have been shut down and cruise lines are no longer visiting Mexican ports. 

Two of four antiviral drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza, appear to be effective against the strain of swine flu circulating in the United States. But health officials warn to use antiviral medications cautiously.

U.S. officials are scouring schools for any students who may have taken a recent trip to Mexico. While some schools are closed in California, Texas and New York, opponents of the new HHS Secretary with the TeamSarah Web site are trying to derail Gov. Sebelius confirmation.  

The U.S. has called for an emergency declaration concerning the swine flu as a “standard operating procedure” and later today a travel advisory is expected to issue a travel warning urging Americans avoid visiting Mexico if possible, especially for nonessential travel.  Americans are being told not to panic, even though 20 mild cases have been detected in the states. 

The 1918 flu pandemic may have killed up to 50 million people worldwide and now researchers believe they know why. Three genes allowed the virus to invade the lungs causing pneumonia and killing otherwise healthy young adults.  Pandemic watchers believe this is useful information in formulating new drugs to fight emerging pandemics.

People who survived the 1918 flu pandemic, who today are in their 90s and 100s, are still producing antibodies to the flu they were first exposed to.  This finding opens up a new area of influenza vaccine research.