Toronto: H1N1 To Accelerate E-Learning at Toronto Universities and Colleges?

As the first full week of the 2009 academic year comes to a close at Toronto colleges and universities, the usual talk of class schedules, exorbitant textbook prices, and looming assignments remains. But along with these start-of-term topics, there's another subject on the minds of both students and faculty: the H1N1 influenza virus.

With American university Washington State already dealing with an outbreak involving up to 2500 students, local schools are preparing for the possibility of a similar event. And these plans could entail radical changes to the way that courses have traditionally been taught.

Toronto: H1N1 To Accelerate E-Learning at Toronto Universities and Colleges?

Mad Scientists?!? More Deadly Swine Flu? CDC Mixes H1N1, H5N1 Viruses in Tests « AxXiom for Liberty

Public-health officials are breathing a small sigh of relief that the H1N1 swine flu virus hasn’t mutated to become more deadly since emerging last spring. But what are the chances it will?

To find out, scientists at the CDC recently launched experiments in the agency’s labs in which they infected ferrets with both the new H1N1 virus and the highly lethal H5N1 avian flu virus to see if they might “reassort” to create a new hybrid.

The scientists want to know whether a combination of the H1N1 virus -– highly transmissible, but not terribly deadly -– and the H5N1 flu virus could create an easily transmissible, deadly scourge. The H5N1 virus has only sickened 440 people world-wide since 2003 and generally isn’t transmitted from one person to another. But it has killed 262, or about 60%, of those people, according to the World Health Organization.

More Deadly Swine Flu? CDC Mixes H1N1, H5N1 Viruses in Tests « AxXiom for Liberty

Healthy Advice - Prevent H1N1: Download this Poster

For many kids, going back to school means going back to the doctor, too. And this year, the stakes seem to be higher, with so many parents concerned about the H1N1 virus (the swine flu).

It's definitely a good idea to talk to your kids about simple steps everyone can take to prevent the H1N1 flu. To help, Healthy Advice has created a great poster that you can download for free!

Healthy Advice - Prevent H1N1

German Swine Flu Vaccine Trial Participant Coughs Up Blood | Bird Flu Pandemic

A participant in German swine flu vaccine trials has come forward with startling allegations that he experienced serious adverse side effects after taking the swine flu vaccine - including coughing up blood. The 40 year old German businessman named Axel described to a German publication exactly what happened after he was vaccinated on August 10th: 'I felt totally beat. On the third day, my kidneys and head were aching and I got a fever. I then had a coughing fit - and the wash basin was suddenly red - it was blood!'

German Swine Flu Vaccine Trial Participant Coughs Up Blood

Reuters: H1N1 vaccine production far less than forecast – WHO

Production of H1N1 vaccine over the next year will be 'substantially less' than the 4.9 billion doses previously forecast but one dose should provide adequate protection, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Friday. Skip related content

Based on clinical test results from some 25 drugmakers, weekly production of the new vaccine will be less than 94 million doses, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said.

'The real figure will be substantially less than 4.9 billion (over the year),' Hartl told reporters.

But supply fears have eased as the northern hemisphere heads into winter and with major drug manufacturers reporting that a single dose is successfully providing immunity.

'All the clinical trial results that we have seen show that apparently one dose is enough,' Hartl said.

The United Nations agency previously forecast one third of the world's nearly seven billion people could be affected by the H1N1 pandemic, but so far the vast majority of victims are suffering only mild symptoms.

Health care workers and people at high risk, including pregnant women and those with underlying conditions such as asthma or diabetes, should be top priority for receiving the new vaccine, it says.

Reuters: H1N1 vaccine production far less than forecast – WHO