Swine flu vaccine link to narcolepsy probed. A swine flu vaccine given to millions of Britons is under review over a possible link to the sleeping disorder narcolepsy, it was announced today. Press Association 2010-08-29T09:00-05:00
Swine flu cases rising in Australia. It has arrived much later this winter, but experts say the swine flu is now on Australia's doorstep. Transmission of the a(H1N1) virus has been elevated in New Zealand for several weeks, The Influenza Specialist Group reports, and a jump in new infections was also now emerging in Australia. Australian Associated Press 2010-08-26T09:00-05:00
Tracking bird flu one poop at a time. Duck and goose droppings, the bane of golfers and park visitors, may help scientists track the spread of bird flu — with olfactory assistance from properly trained animals. Scientists have trained mice to identify the poop of ducks infected with avian influenza. Science News 2010-08-25T09:00-05:00
After the pandemic. Of course, mistakes were made. But those who handled the world's response to H1N1 deserve better than false accusations of industry self-interest. Governments, industry and academics worked well together when faced with a potentially disastrous threat - and will hopefully do so when called upon again. Nature 2010-08-19T09:00-05:00
School closes for day over swine flu. In New Zealand, Christchurch primary school closed its doors after a student was diagnosed with swine flu. Auckland New Zealand Herald 2010-08-18T09:00-05:00
Swine flu cases push hospital to crisis point. Sickness has smashed the region this week, causing a near overflow at Tauranga Hospital and pushing confirmed swine flu cases to record highs this year. Bay of Plenty Times 2010-08-18T09:00-05:00
The pandemic that never was. Swine flu, which emerged in Mexico in March last year and sent the world into a panic, has receded to a point where health authorities have been told they can start lowering their guard. Sydney Australian 2010-08-16T09:00-05:00
Chicken Little over swine flu: Learning from the H1N1 scare. Last year's scare over a potential H1N1 flu epidemic was a bust, the WHO now indicates. With reports of another scare over a "superbug" supposedly from India, officials and media need to act with caution and restraint without stoking fears. Christian Science Monitor 2010-08-14T09:00-05:00
WHO list reveals pandemic flu advisors with industry ties. Five of the 15 experts that advised the World Health Organisation about swine flu pandemic alerts had received support from the drugs industry, including for flu vaccine research, the WHO revealed on Wednesday. Agence France-Presse 2010-08-12T09:00-05:00
WHO says swine-flu pandemic is over. Nearly 14 months after declaring a new H1N1 flu to be a pandemic, the World Health Organization said Tuesday that it's over. Wall Street Journal 2010-08-11T09:00-05:00
WHO chief says H1N1 flu pandemic is over. The H1N1 pandemic is over and the global outbreak turned out to be much less severe than was feared just over a year ago, the head of the World Health Organization said on Tuesday. Reuters Health 2010-08-11T09:00-05:00
WHO declares official end to H1N1 pandemic. The H1N1 pandemic that started in the spring of 2009 is now officially over, says the World Health Organization. Speaking from Hong Kong during a teleconference this afternoon, WHO Director Margaret Chan declared that "we are now moving into the post-pandemic period. The new H1N1 virus has largely run its course." Science 2010-08-11T09:00-05:00
WHO to announce whether H1N1 pandemic downgraded. The World Health Organisation will announce later on Tuesday whether the H1N1 flu outbreak has been downgraded from a pandemic after influenza experts reviewed its status in previously undisclosed talks, the WHO said. Reuters 2010-08-10T09:00-05:00
Clue found to why swine flu spread in people. The H1N1 swine flu virus underwent a mutation and used a new trick to spread efficiently in people, another signal to help experts predict whether a flu virus can cause a pandemic, researchers said Friday. Reuters Health 2010-08-07T09:00-05:00
WHO still monitoring H1N1 pandemic: Spokesman. The World Health Organization's emergency committee will not meet this week to review data on the H1N1 swine flu pandemic nor will it declare for now an end to the pandemic, a WHO spokesman said. Reuters 2010-07-22T09:00-05:00
UK study shows healthy people hit hard by H1N1 flu. More than half of people who died from swine flu or were admitted to hospital with it during the first wave of the H1N1 pandemic in Britain were previously healthy people with no underlying risks, a study has found. Reuters Health 2010-07-14T09:00-05:00
Bioterrorism experts condemn a move to cut reserve money. On its face, it's just another Washington dispute about money. But a move by House Democrats to strip $2 billion from reserve funds for bioterrorism and pandemic flu has infuriated some of the country's foremost bioterrorism experts. Los Angeles Times 2010-07-13T09:00-05:00
Scots count cost of swine flu precautions. Scotland had been left with an expensive stockpile of vaccines and anti-virals because of contracts signed by Scottish and UK governments with pharmaceutical companies during the swine-flu outbreak, it was claimed yesterday. Edinburgh Scotsman 2010-07-03T09:00-05:00
Swine flu vaccine contracts 'lacked get out clauses.' The contracts negotiated by the UK government for a swine flu vaccine should have had get-out clauses to protect taxpayers' money, experts say. They also noted that some of the communications about the pandemic were confusing but praised the overall approach. BBC 2010-07-03T09:00-05:00
Millions of vaccine doses to be burned. About a quarter of the swine flu vaccine produced for the U.S. public has expired -- meaning that a whopping 40 million doses worth about $260 million is being written off as trash. Associated Press 2010-07-01T09:00-05:00
Mexico declares end to 14-month swine flu scare. The government of Mexico lifted the alert for swine flu Tuesday, officially ending the health emergency in the country where the illness first appeared 14 months ago. Associated Press 2010-06-30T09:00-05:00
Swine flu strikes PM, five other officials. Prime Minister Hun Sen contracted the A(H1N1) influenza virus late last week, and five other government officials – including a deputy prime minister and two senior ministers – have since exhibited signs of it, according to a statement issued by Health Minister Mam Bunheng. Phnom Penh Post 2010-06-30T09:00-05:00
A pandemic of hindsight? We must learn lessons from the handling of the flu pandemic to improve future research and public-health responses to emerging diseases, but retrospective hindsight and recriminations are not the answer. Nature 2010-06-24T09:00-05:00
Study criticizes swine-flu follow-up. There is too little genetic surveillance of last year’s human pandemic flu, which has gone on to infect pigs in China and is readily mixing with other flus there, according to a study released Thursday by researchers in Hong Kong. New York Times 2010-06-18T09:00-05:00
Pandemic virus enters pigs in HK, swaps genes: Study. The H1N1 swine flu virus has been spreading quietly in pigs in Hong Kong and swapping genes with other viruses, and researchers said the findings support calls for tighter disease surveillance in pigs before new bugs can emerge and infect people. Reuters 2010-06-18T09:00-05:00