Posts Tagged ‘experts’

Swine flu kills 16 in Mexico; Health experts are checking seven cases in Texas and California

www.freestylenews.info Tests show 20 people in Mexico have died of the new swine flu strain, and that 48 other deaths were probably due to the same strain. The caseload of those sickened has grown to 1004 nationwide, Mexico’s Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova said. The same virus also sickened at least eight people in Texas and California, though there have been no deaths north of the border, puzzling experts at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http

WHO: Independent experts to review swine flu outbreak, UN body’s response starting April 12

WHO: Independent experts to review swine flu outbreak, UN body’s response starting April 12
GENEVA – The World Health Organization says a group of independent experts will assess the global body’s response to the swine flu outbreak.

Read more on Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune

Pandemic has not yet peaked, WHO experts advise

Pandemic has not yet peaked, WHO experts advise
The pandemic of H1N1 swine flu has not yet peaked, a committee of experts advised the World Health Organisation on Tuesday.

Read more on Reuters via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News

Swine Flu Vaccine Close To Reality According to Experts

Officials of the Federal government believe that the swine flu vaccine that would protect all Americans from future H1N1 outbreaks would be available by January or late November at the earliest.

HoTop of Form

wever, countries outside the United States and other nations that manufacture vaccines would take several years to generate sufficient vaccines to meet global demands.

Although manufacturing of the vaccine is faster than it was a few years back, it may still not be enough to prevent death and illness if the dreaded virus begins to spread and becomes virulent, experts predict.

In the United States, the main obstacle despite long years of effort remains to be the 50-year old technology they use in manufacturing flu vaccines. The Federal government had invested time and billions of dollars shifting to a quicker and more reliable method.

One such procedure involves cultivating the vaccine viruses in vats of cells instead of hen’s eggs. There are several small companies that are developing new methods that would pave the way for the creation of large volumes of vaccines in a span of weeks.

Dr. Greg Poland, who is the head of the vaccine research program at the Mayo Clinic, admits that the cell-based cultivation technology is not yet available while the never technologies have not yet been proven to satisfy most experts.

In addition, government officials have also not yet decided on whether or not H1N1 is a potential risk that demands production of vaccine. However, they are implementing the initial steps. Andrin Oswald, Chief Executive of the Vaccine Division of Novartis, revealed that one possible problem would be the manufacture of vaccines for swine influenza could hamper the production of seasonal flu vaccines for the coming winter. The most likely thing to do is to compromise, according to Oswald.

However, Robin Robinson, who manages the Emergency Preparation Research Program of the Department of Health and Human Services, believes that majority of manufacturing efforts of vaccine makers would have been completed by June.

According to Dr. Robinson, if the manufacture of the H1N1 vaccine would commence after that, the first 50 million to 80 million would be ready by September.

Dr. Robinson continued by saying that the entire 600 million doses, which are sufficient to give the required two shots for every American would be available by January. Adding the immune stimulant adjuvant to the vaccine could greatly reduce the required dosage, paving the way for the availability of the doses by the latter part of November.

The vaccine industry in the country is now very much capable of responding to the outbreak than it was five years back, when there were only two vaccine manufacturers and encountered a severe shortage. At present, there are five manufacturers supplying vaccines to the domestic market. The vaccine industry, which is used to be the backwater of the pharmaceutical industry, is generating new investments, as a result of government subsidies and higher cost for vaccines.

Despite of this, a World Health Organization and International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations revealed that it would still require four more years of manufacturing to meet global demands for a vaccine that would provide protection against bird flu strain that has been the major concern of health officials over the last few years.

Finally, the Federal government is encouraging manufacturers to shift their production in the United States, since all except Sanofi Aventis is now importing swine flu vaccines.

Swine flu pandemic not yet over, public health experts warn

Swine flu pandemic not yet over, public health experts warn
Has the swine flu pandemic peaked globally? Not quite, WHO advisers decided on Tuesday.

Read more on Taipei Times

(AFX UK Focus) 2010-02-24 01:21 UPDATE 1-Pandemic has not yet peaked, WHO experts advise

(AFX UK Focus) 2010-02-24 01:21 UPDATE 1-Pandemic has not yet peaked, WHO experts advise
WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (Reuters) – The pandemic of H1N1 swine flu has not yet peaked, a committee of experts advised the World Health Organization on Tuesday. “The committee advised that it was premature to conclude that all parts of the world have experienced peak transmission of the H1N1 pandemic influenza and that additional time and information was needed to provide expert advice on the status …

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Swine flu still hasn’t peaked, WHO experts say

Swine flu still hasn’t peaked, WHO experts say
The World Health Organization said Tuesday the swine flu pandemic still has not peaked. The agency’s emergency committee said the southern hemisphere is bracing for another wave of illness in the next few months.

Read more on CTV Toronto