Elderly in Line for Swine Flu Shot and some other new cartoons

The other cartoons are here

Fox News: Has H1N1 Peaked?

According to Fox News, H1N1 shows signs of peaking in some area's.

Has H1N1 Peaked?

KSTP TV | Fears of Higher H1N1 Risk in Mexico Debunked

Watching the H1N1 flu pandemic - The Big Picture

Health officials around the world are stepping up vaccination efforts and are closely tracking the progress of the H1N1/09 virus (often referred to as 'swine flu' in the media).

World Health Organization officials recently noted that the virus has spread to virtually every country in the world, reaching as far as remote tribes in Venezuela and aboriginal populations in Australia.

Although the number of deaths attributed to H1N1 this year (over 7,000 to date) remains low compared to a normal seasonal flu outbreak of several hundred thousand deaths in a year, health officials remain concerned because of the instability of H1N1/09 combined with its tendency to affect younger healthier people.

Collected here are photos of people around the world preparing for and dealing with the current H1N1 pandemic. (37 photos total)



More pictures at:
Watching the H1N1 flu pandemic - The Big Picture - Boston.com

Security Bytes: Russian cybercriminals target H1N1 Swine flu fears

Researchers at security vendor Sophos’ Canadian-based research labs have released a report outlining how some Russian cybercriminals are making millions off the H1N1 flu by pushing counterfeit Tamiflu through well organized affiliate programs.

The cybercriminals have created an affiliate network to make it more difficult to track them down by distributing responsibility for different spam tasks while increasing advertising space to gain visibility and more potential victims. It’s been an evolving process and today there are literally hundreds of malicious affiliate networks touting everything from phony dating websites, porn and pharmaceuticals such as Tamiflu.

Rather than direct spam campaigns that flood inboxes, the cybercriminals use Web marketing campaigns and drive potential victims to partner affiliate websites using a mixture of spam, search engine results (search engine optimization), blogs and forum posts, the report finds. Each affiliate gets a small cut but most of the profits go to cybercriminal gangs in Russia:

"Many organize expensive parties for their members, send generous gifts for holidays, run lotteries where a top producer wins a luxury car, and the list goes on. In some cases, the war between different partnerkas turns ugly, where one portal may get DDoS’ed by a competing gang."

Read the rest of the article here:
Security Bytes: Russian cybercriminals target H1N1 Swine flu fears

And here is the complete report (as PDF)

AP: WHO says swine flu samples from Ukraine showed no significant mutation

The World Health Organization says tests on swine flu samples from Ukraine show no significant mutation of the virus.

WHO had sent an expert team to Ukraine last week after reports of an unusual flu outbreak.

The global body said Tuesday that preliminary genetic sequencing at laboratories in Britain and the United States showed that the virus in Ukraine was similar to that used for production of the pandemic flu vaccine.

The Ukrainian Health Ministry has registered some 1.4 million cases of flu and respiratory illness since the start of the swine flu outbreak.

WHO says most cases are likely swine flu and the infection rate is in line with neighbouring countries such as Russia and Poland.

AP: WHO says swine flu samples from Ukraine showed no significant mutation

Dr. Leonard Horowitz: "Swine flu is biological sabotage against humanity"

The following is the translation of a report which has appeared in several Russian language media, in the wake of the recent outbreaks in Ukraine

In mid-August 2009 forensic group Health Protection Agency - Health Protection Agency (HPA) of California, which oversees the pharmaceutical industry, discovered documents revealing the criminal and subversive activities of a number of pharmaceutical companies, united in an international cartel that conspired among themselves and are engaged in the production of highly toxic vaccines 'against' swine flu H1N1.

In the conspiracy the same pharmaceutical giant Baxter (city of Deerfield, Ill.) and Novavaks (Bethesda, Md.) are involved, infamous for the 'error' in February 2009 whereby toxins pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza were found in lieu of the flu vaccine and which triggered a short burst in avian influenza. They have involved in these activities a number of other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the U.S.

The investigation revealed that all the traces lead to the Corporation of New York City Partnership 'sponsored' trust company of David Rockefeller, which included several wealthy and influential partners on Wall Street, including media moguls Rupert Murdoch, Morton Zuckerman and Thomas Glauser. One of the partners of the 'trust' company is Jerry Spreer - former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Read the rest of the article here:
Dr. Leonard Horowitz: "Swine flu is biological sabotage against humanity"

One-Quarter Of Canadians Have Received H1N1 Shot

Canada's top doctor says Canada has suffered relatively few deaths due to the H1N1 influenza because of high vaccination rates.

Approximately one quarter of Canadians have received the H1N1 flu shot, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. David Butler-Jones said, and that’s why we’ve seen a relatively low rate of serious cases and few deaths.

Canada has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, he added.

After a very bumpy start to the immunization campaign that saw overwhelming lineups at public clinics and temporary shortages, Butler-Jones said the program is running smoothly now and shipments of shots are flowing well.

Read the rest of this article at:
One-Quarter Of Canadians Have Received H1N1 Shot

Roche Gets FDA Emergency Approval For Swine Flu Test

Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG said Monday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted a fast approval for the company's detection set for the A/H1N1 swine flu virus.

The kit detects ribonucleic acid, or RNA, of the swine flu virus and allows rapid and accurate identification of patients infected with this virus, the Basel-based company said in a statement.

The emergency use authorization, which can be used to provide swift countermeasures in case of a national public health emergency, is a small positive for the company, Karl-Heinz Koch, analyst at Swiss independent broker Helvea, said.

'The test should support Roche's diagnostics sales towards the end of the year,' the analyst said. He expects an addition to sales in U.S. dollars in the low double-digit-million range. Koch rates Roche at buy.

However, Roche is competing with others in this market, Koch adds.

Read the rest of this article at:
Roche Gets FDA Emergency Approval For Swine Flu Test - WSJ.com

Disney World takes steps to fight swine flu

(AP - Orlando, Fla.) How about some hand sanitizer before greeting Mickey Mouse?

In an effort to halt the spread of the swine flu, Walt Disney World has installed dozens of hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the theme park, hotel lobbies and character meet-and-greet areas, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Disney is also reminding visitors of basic health safety tips, like covering their mouths while sneezing and washing hands regularly, on fliers that list park hours and show times.

In all, more than 60 bulk hand sanitizer dispensers have been added at Disney World and Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.

The health precautions are the most visible steps taken by any of Orlando's major theme parks since the swine flu outbreak last spring.

Medical Doctor Retracts H1N1 Vaccine Advice After Reading Insert

Dr. Roby Mitchell, M.D. (www.drfitt.com) issues a retraction to nurses he originally advised to get the H1N1 flu vaccination. After reading the insert of the vaccine, he retracted his advice. This video exposes what is actually IN the vaccine our government is so eager to inject into our population.

Morning Fix: The (political) dangers of H1N1

Long lines of people wait for the swine flu vaccine.
Photo by Tracy A. Woodward of the Washington Post

President Obama's decision to declare the H1N1 flu a national emergency over the weekend is a recognition of the political peril the virus could inflict on the White House.

The declaration came after 72 hours of stories -- both locally and nationally -- focused on the long lines for the swine flu vaccine and the mounting fear surrounding the illness.

And, it came just days after a Washington Post/ABC national poll showed that a majority (52 percent) of Americans were worried that they or someone in their family would contract H1N1 -- up from 39 percent who said the same in a mid-August survey.

Given that context, Obama's announcement, which essentially allows hospitals more leeway in the way they deal with the outbreaks, is rightly understood as an attempt to show the American people that the president understands their concern and is ensuring the government is doing everything it can to help.

Read the complete article at:
Morning Fix: The (political) dangers of H1N1

USA Today: Obesity a swine flu risk factor?

Some swine flu cases in America are raising questions about obesity's role in why some people with infections become seriously ill.

A high proportion of those who have gotten severely ill from swine flu have been obese or extremely obese, but health officials have said that might be due to the fact that heavy people tend to have asthma and other conditions that make them more susceptible. Obesity alone has never been seen as a risk factor for seasonal flu.

But in a report released Friday, health officials detailed the cases of 10 Michigan patients who were very sick from swine flu in late May and early June and ended up at a specialized hospital in Ann Arbor. Three of them died.

Nine of the 10 were either obese or extremely obese. Only three of the 10 had other health problems. Two of the three that died had no other health conditions.

This hardly settles the question of whether obesity is its own risk factor for swine flu. It's possible the patients had undiagnosed heart problems or other unidentified conditions.

Still the finding was striking, investigators acknowledged.

Read the complete article at:
USA Today: Obesity a swine flu risk factor?

New York Times: Worst Case - Choosing Who Survives in a Flu Epidemic

New York state health officials recently laid out this wrenching scenario for a small group of medical professionals from New York-Presbyterian Hospital:

A 32-year-old man with cystic fibrosis is rushed to the hospital with appendicitis in the midst of a worsening pandemic caused by the H1N1 flu virus, which has mutated into a more deadly form. The man is awaiting a lung transplant and brought with him the mechanical ventilator that helps him breathe.

New York’s governor has declared a state of emergency and hospitals are following the state’s pandemic ventilator allocation plan — actual guidelines drafted in 2007 that are now being revisited. The plan aims to direct ventilators to those with the best chances of survival in a severe, 1918-like flu pandemic where tens of thousands develop life-threatening pneumonia.

Because the man’s end-stage lung disease caused by his cystic fibrosis is among a list of medical conditions associated with high mortality, the guidelines would bar the man from using a ventilator in a hospital, even though he is, unlike many with his illness, stable, in good condition, and not close to death. If the hospital admits him, the guidelines call for the machine that keeps him alive to be given to someone else.

Would doctors and nurses follow such rules? Should they?

Read the complete article at:
New York Times: Worst Case - Choosing Who Survives in a Flu Epidemic

FDA warns of bogus swine flu products on the Internet

If there is money to be made from people's fear or misery, there is someone who has something to sell you.The Federal Food and Drug Administration warns many bogus products are now circulating on the Internet that falsely claim to relieve symptoms or even prevent the H1N1 swine flu virus.

Scam artists with such things as air sterilizers, supplements, face masks; shampoos and fake Tamiflu, are selling these bogus products over the Internet. Tamiflu is a FDA-approved product made by Switzerland's Roche Group and is currently being rationed.

A fake Tamiflu circulating on the Internet has been tested by the FDA. The agency found it to contain powered talc and generic Tylenol.


Read the rest of the article at:
FDA warns of bogus swine flu products on the Internet

Washington Post: Scientists study pig farming for answers on swine flu

TIPTON, IOWA It may be crowded and carpeted in manure, but the long, white building beside State Route 38 is one of the most pathogen-free homes a pig could have.

The animals never know the feel of grass, mud or sunshine, and hardly the touch of man, in their six months of life. But they are also free of many of the infections that slow the growth and occasionally end the lives of their outdoor cousins.

'We're producing the most efficient animal, one that is healthy every day,' said Devon Schott, the 34-year-old farmer who owns the building. To do that, he said, 'biosecurity is of utmost importance.'

Despite the buttoned-up methods of farmers such as Schott, many experts think pig farming presents a serious and overlooked risk to public health. Proof of that assertion -- indirect but indisputable, in the opinion of virologists -- is the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza.

Read the article at:
Washington Post: Scientists study pig farming for answers on swine flu

Radio Netherlands Worldwide: Europe opts for widespread flu vaccination

An increasing number of European countries are opting for widespread vaccination against the Mexican flu. Even in countries such as Italy and Sweden, where vaccination of vulnerable groups began last week, all inhabitants are now being called up to receive the vaccine.

In Britain, France and Germany, the general public can be vaccinated at the local GPs from Monday. In Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain, large-scale vaccination will get under way in the first two weeks of November.

After much hesitation, the Norwegian government has also decided to extend its vaccination programme from high-risk groups to as much of the population as possible, starting in late November and early December.

Radio Netherlands Worldwide: Europe opts for widespread flu vaccination

Dayton Daily News: Hundreds turn out for H1N1 FluMist clinic

Milder temperatures, plenty of parking and vaccines kept Warren County’s H1N1 flu vaccine clinic at the Lebanon Raceway/Warren County Fairgrounds moving smoothly Saturday morning, Oct. 24.

People started to arrive at the fairgrounds after midnight, and Health Commissioner Duane Stansbury said at 6 a.m. there already was a line to enter the grandstand area for the FluMist vaccine for the H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu.

“We can’t afford to get sick,” said Lisa Cecil of Lebanon who brought one of her three sons to the clinic Saturday and has insisted they all get the vaccine. “If there are any preventative measures available, we’re going to take them.”

Gwen Motley of Carlisle came with her two daughters, ages 3 and 6, and said she was concerned about the new influenza strain.

Read the rest at:
Dayton Daily News: Hundreds turn out for H1N1 FluMist clinic

NYTimes.com: Obama Declares Swine Flu Outbreak a National Emergency

WASHINGTON — President Obama has declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, allowing hospitals and local governments to speedily set up alternate sites for treatment and triage procedures if needed to handle any surge of patients, the White House said on Saturday.

The declaration came as thousands of people lined up in cities across the country to receive vaccinations, and as federal officials acknowledged that their ambitious vaccination program has gotten off to a slow start. Only 16 million doses of the vaccine were available now, and about 30 million were expected by the end of the month. Some states have requested 10 times the amount they have been allotted.

Flu activity — virtually all of it the swine flu — is now widespread in 46 states, a level that federal officials say equals the peak of a typical winter flu season. Millions of people in the United States have had swine flu, known as H1N1, either in the first wave in the spring or the current wave.

NYTimes.com: Obama Declares Swine Flu Outbreak a National Emergency

Tracking the progress of H1N1 swine flu

This map and the data behind it were compiled by Dr. Henry Niman, a biomedical researcher in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, using technology provided by Rhiza Labs and Google. The map is compiled using data from official sources, news reports and user-contributions and updated multiple times per day.

Rhiza's web-based mapping product, Insight, is helping Dr. Niman get official and unofficial data into the tracking system faster while giving researchers and the public many options for viewing the data in a useful and understandable way.

FluTracker - H1N1 Swine Flu and Influenza Outbreak Tracking from Rhiza Labs

Cons even oppose the flu shots

Conservative media figures oppose everything proposed by the Obama administration, even flu shots.

Listen to this Media Matters Minute on Air America Media

Baptist: H1N1 vaccine email is a hoax - WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina |

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - An email is circulating throughout the Midlands saying doctors and staff at Palmetto Health Baptist are being advised not to take the H1N1 vaccine. However, the hospital says the email is a hoax.

The email obtained by WIS News 10 on Thursday reads as follows:

My sister just called, for those of you that don't know she is a RN in the ER at Baptist. They had a meeting this morning on the H1N1 vaccination, and the doctors at Baptist are advising that their staff and patients NOT get this vaccination.

They have had several reports of people getting Guillain-Barre Syndrome. They are also concerned about how fast this vaccination has been developed and the lack of testing that has been done concerning this vaccination. In fact one nurse at Baptist, has a son that took the vaccination and has developed Guillain-Barre's.

The email then digresses into a lengthy description of the symptoms and possible risks of Guillain-Barre. It's enough to scare anyone into being afraid to take the vaccine.

The only problem, a Baptist spokesperson said, is that it's not true. The email is being distributed around the country, with the name of the hospital changing depending on the area.

The spokesperson emphasized that Baptist is encouraging all their staff and patients to get the vaccine.

WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina - Baptist: H1N1 vaccine email is a hoax

Discovery Channel's Mythbusters Tapped H1N1 PSA Campaign

Discovery Channel and the hosts of its popular series MYTHBUSTERS have teamed up with the United States Department of Health and Human Services to help inform the public about ways to protect themselves and prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu virus. The effort includes a public service announcement airing on the network, a dedicated web presence that provides resources and important information about H1N1 and educational and classroom resources for teachers and students provided by Discovery Education.

Called 'the best science show on television,' MYTHBUSTERS uses scientific experimentation to uncover the truth behind popular myths and legends. In their PSA, hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage utilize a high-speed camera to show the invisible aftermath of a sneeze, and offer a simple message for H1N1 virus prevention: 'One of the single most effective things you can do to stop the spread of flu, is to simply stay home if you feel sick.'

Discovery Channel's Mythbusters Tapped H1N1 PSA Campaign

USATODAY.com: Poll: One-third of parents oppose H1N1 vaccines

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the first wave of swine flu vaccine crosses the country, more than a third of parents don't want their kids vaccinated, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll.

Some parents say they are concerned about side effects from the new vaccine — even though nothing serious has turned up in tests so far — while others say swine flu doesn't amount to any greater health threat than seasonal flu.

Jackie Shea of Newtown, Conn., the mother of a 5-year-old boy named Emmett, says the vaccine is too new and too untested.

'I will not be first in line in October to get him vaccinated,' she said in an interview last month. 'We're talking about putting an unknown into him. I can't do that.'

The AP poll found that 38% of parents said they were unlikely to give permission for their kids to be vaccinated at school.

The belief that the new vaccine could be risky is one federal health officials have been fighting from the start, and they plan an unprecedented system of monitoring for side effects.

USATODAY.com: Poll: One-third of parents oppose H1N1 vaccines

Google Flu Trends expands to 16 additional countries

From the official Google Blog:

"If you're like us, you're probably thinking a lot about how this year's flu season might affect you and your community. To help you out, we at Google.org are excited to announce the expansion of Google Flu Trends to 16 additional countries, including much of Europe. We've also made the site available in 37 languages. Flu is a global threat, affecting millions worldwide each year, so we're pleased to make this tool available in more regions and languages.

Last November, we launched Google Flu Trends in the United States after finding a close relationship between how many people search for flu-related topics and how many people actually have flu symptoms. By tracking the popularity of certain Google search queries, we are able to estimate the level of flu, in near real-time. While some traditional flu surveillance systems may take days or weeks to collect and release data, Google search queries can be counted immediately. Google Flu Trends provides an additional surveillance tool that may help public health officials and the public make more informed decisions about preparing for the flu season."



Google Flu Trends expands to 16 additional countries

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

GlaxoSmithKline Begins Testing H1N1 Vaccine

GlaxoSmithKline has started testing its pandemic H1N1 swine flu vaccine in humans, and expects to start giving the results to government agencies next month, the drugmaker said on Friday,' Reuters reports. The company 'plans to conduct 16 different trials of the vaccine and to test 9,000 people in total across Europe, Canada and the United States,' according to the news service.

GlaxoSmithKline Begins Testing H1N1 Vaccine

Dutch advice on Mexican flu: 'Just sit it out'

The Dutch National Institute for Public Health (RIVM) announced Friday that it has stopped recording new Mexican flu patients in the Netherlands. Doctors and hospitals no longer have to report new cases to the health authorities.

From the available data it looks like the Mexican flu is after all relatively mild. Only one to three percent of all patients develop complications, mostly pneumonia.

Two thirds of all patients with complications so far belong to the traditional groups at risk. These include people over 60, children under two, people with diabetes, heart or lung diseases, pregnant women in their third trimester, and people with diminished resistance, for instance as a result of chemotherapy. These people already qualify for the regular winter flu shot.

In other words, the Dutch health authorities are now treating the Mexican flu as a common winter flu.

nrc.nl - International - Dutch advice on Mexican flu: 'Just sit it out'

Dutch researchers create swine flu video game

Since swine flu first emerged in April, it has sparked panic, vaccine production and now, a video game. In an effort to raise awareness, Dutch researchers have created a game that challenges players to control a new pandemic.

'It is actually what is happening now, what is happening in the real world,' said Ab Osterhaus, head of virology at the Erasmus Medical Centre, who designed 'The Great Flu' game with colleagues. The game can only be playedonline at www.thegreatflu.com and it is free.

The game begins with images of bedridden patients and graveyards from the 1918 Spanish flu. As the head of the fictitious "World Pandemic Control," players pick a flu strain, and then monitor thatstrain's spread around the world.

To fight the emerging outbreak, players use measures including setting up surveillance systems, stockpiling antivirals and vaccines, and closing schools and airports. Players also have a limited budget and are warned that "your actions to control the virus cost money, so keep an eye on it."

nrc.nl - International - Dutch researchers create swine flu video game

NYTimes: Europe Offers Vaccinations to Contain Swine Flu

Anxiety over the new swine flu strain may have eased over the summer, but millions of Europeans will soon receive a sharp reminder of its virulence as governments prepare for a large-scale vaccination effort aimed at keeping a second, and possibly deadlier, wave of infections at bay.

With another surge in cases of the H1N1 flu expected as soon as September, medical experts say the battle to tame the first pandemic flu in four decades is just getting under way in Europe.

European Union health officials emphasize that most human cases of the flu have been mild and that patients have recovered without special treatment.

In another sign of normalcy, a committee of European Union health officials recommended last week that schools reopen as usual after the summer break.

But with limited amounts of vaccines expected to become available this year, health authorities are girding for many more cases over the autumn and winter flu season, when viruses spread more easily.

“If we get a lot more infections, then there will be a lot more complications in people’s medical conditions and that means a lot more deaths,” said Nigel Dimmock, an emeritus professor in the department of biological sciences at the University of Warwick in England nd a flu expert.

The global pattern of the virus’s spread indicated that “the pandemic is just beginning” in Europe, said Nikki Shindo, a spokeswoman on influenza for the W.H.O.

NYTimes: Europe Offers Vaccinations to Contain Swine Flu

AP: 51 US soldiers in Iraq diagnosed with swine flu

Fifty-one American troops in Iraq have been diagnosed with and treated for swine flu, while another 71 soldiers remain in isolation suspected of contracting the potentially deadly virus, the U.S. military said Sunday.

The figures were released as Iraqi health officials confirmed Sunday the country's first swine flu death.

A woman in the southern holy Shiite city of Najaf died of the disease, raising fears about a possible outbreak among worshippers making pilgrimages to the revered sites.

All the 51 U.S. troops diagnosed with the flu have fully recovered, while the 71 suspect cases are in isolation, said Col. Michael D. Eisenhauer, the chief of clinical operations in Iraq.

'All personnel are screened for signs and symptoms of influenza prior to entering Iraq, in an effort to limit the spread of the H1N1 virus to this region,' Eisenhauer told The Associated Press in an e-mail.

He said those who later develop a fever, sore throat or cough are tested, and put into isolation if suspected of swine flu.

The Associated Press: 51 US soldiers in Iraq diagnosed with swine flu

AP: Calif. nurses protest lack of swine flu equipment

A union says some California hospitals aren't adequately protecting nurses from swine flu.

The California Nurses Association plans to protest Wednesday in San Francisco in the wake of a Sacramento nurse's swine flu death last month.

The union wants hospitals to provide better masks, equipment and protocol to protect nurses from further sickness.

The union says nurses across the state are reporting difficulties getting the masks recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and having them properly fitted to be airtight.

The protest comes less than three weeks after Sacramento nurse Karen Ann Hays died after contracting swine flu. The 51-year-old marathoner's death is the first among California health care workers related to sickness.

AP: Calif. nurses protest lack of swine flu equipment

CTV.ca | U.K. lab may have found fix for low flu vaccine yield

A British laboratory may have found a fix for the low yield problem that has been plaguing companies making swine flu vaccine.

The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control says it is ready to ship new versions of its vaccine seed strain to manufacturers as of today.

The lab's principal scientist, John Wood, says early work with the new version of the seed strain shows it generates a virus yield that's on par with what manufacturers get in seasonal flu vaccine production.

CTV.ca | U.K. lab may have found fix for low flu vaccine yield

Times Online: Tamiflu causes sickness and nightmares in children, study finds

More than half of children taking the swine flu drug Tamiflu experience side-effects such as nausea and nightmares, research suggests.

An estimated 150,000 people with flu symptoms were prescribed the drug through a new hotline and website last week, according to figures revealed yesterday.

Studies of children attending three schools in London and one in the South West showed that 51-53 per cent had one or more side-effects from the medication, which is offered to everyone in England with swine flu symptoms.

Times Online: Tamiflu causes sickness and nightmares in children, study finds

Queensland Country Life: A/H1N1 flu found in New South Wales piggery

News from Australia:
Swine flu, or the influenza A/H1N1 (2009) virus, has been detected in a NSW piggery as a result of human-to-pig transmission.

Australian Pork Ltd has moved quickly to reassure consumers that the transmission holds no implications for Australian consumers.

APL chief executive Andrew Spencer says consumers can 'have the utmost confidence in pork as a safe and healthy meat to eat'.

Mr Spencer said experts in Australia and overseas, including state and federal health departments, the Australian Medical Association, Australian Veterinarian Association, the World Health Organisation and the World Organisation for Animal Health, have agreed there is no food safety risk associated with the flu virus.

Queensland Country Life: A/H1N1 flu found in New South Wales piggery

CDC H1N1 Flu | Novel H1N1 U.S. Situation Update

Total U.S. Novel H1N1 Flu Hospitalizations and Deaths as posted July 31, 2009, 11:00 AM ET

Reporting States and Territories* - 47
Hospitalized Cases 5,514
Deaths 353
*Includes the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The number of hospitalized novel H1N1 cases and deaths presented in this table are an aggregate of reports received by CDC from U.S. states and territories and will be updated weekly each Friday at 11am.

For state level information, refer to state health departments.

CDC discontinued reporting of individual confirmed and probable cases of novel H1N1 infection on July 24, 2009.

CDC will report the total number of hospitalizations and deaths weekly, and continue to use its traditional surveillance systems to track the progress of the novel H1N1 flu outbreak.

For more information about CDC’s novel H1N1 influenza surveillance system, see Questions & Answers About CDC's Novel H1N1 Influenza Surveillance.

CDC H1N1 Flu | Novel H1N1 U.S. Situation Update

WHO | Pandemic influenza in pregnant women

Research conducted in the USA and published 29 July in The Lancet [1] has drawn attention to an increased risk of severe or fatal illness in pregnant women when infected with the H1N1 pandemic virus.

Several other countries experiencing widespread transmission of the pandemic virus have similarly reported an increased risk in pregnant women, particularly during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. An increased risk of fetal death or spontaneous abortions in infected women has also been reported.
Increased risk for pregnant women

Evidence from previous pandemics further supports the conclusion that pregnant women are at heightened risk.

While pregnant women are also at increased risk during epidemics of seasonal influenza, the risk takes on added importance in the current pandemic, which continues to affect a younger age group than that seen during seasonal epidemics.

WHO strongly recommends that, in areas where infection with the H1N1 virus is widespread, pregnant women, and the clinicians treating them, be alert to symptoms of influenza-like illness.

WHO | Pandemic influenza in pregnant women

BBC NEWS - 'Swine flu liner' docks in France

A cruise ship carrying dozens of victims of swine flu among its 5,000 passengers and crew has docked in the south of France, officials have said.

Sixty crew members have so far been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, while 70 of their colleagues were also showing signs of being infected, they added.

They will be treated on board the ship while it docks at Villefranche-sur-Mer.

On Thursday, officials said a 14-year-old girl infected with H1N1 had become France's first fatality from the virus.

However, they cautioned that it did not appear that her death, at a hospital in the north-western city of Brest, had been directly linked to the virus.

BBC NEWS - 'Swine flu liner' docks in France

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DJ Whoo Kid & Tony Yayo - The Swine Flu

NYTimes.com: US Swine Flu Plan Would Put Some Ahead for Vaccine

A panel of health experts laid out a plan on Wednesday for vaccinating certain people first in the likely event that not enough swine flu vaccine will be available to immunize every American in time for the expected surge of cases this fall and winter.

The top priority group, 159 million Americans, or about half the population, would include health care workers and emergency medical responders, because their jobs are critical.

It would also include people with the highest risk of complications and severe illness from the new H1N1 virus: pregnant women; children and young adults from 6 months to 24 years; and people ages 25 to 64 with medical problems like asthma, diabetes or heart disease."

NYTimes.com: US Swine Flu Plan Would Put Some Ahead for Vaccine

CDC: Up To 40 Percent Of Americans May Get Ill

U.S. health officials say swine flu could strike up to 40 percent of Americans over the next two years and as many as several hundred thousand could die if a vaccine campaign and other measures aren't successful.

Those estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mean about twice the number of people who usually get sick in a normal flu season would be struck by swine flu. Officials said those projections would drop if a new vaccine is ready and widely available, as U.S. officials expect.

The U.S. may have as many as 160 million doses of swine flu vaccine available sometime in October, and U.S. tests of the new vaccine are to start shortly, federal officials said this week.

WBZTV.com: Centers For Disease Control And Prevention Estimates Up To 40 Percent Of Americans May Get Ill

WHO | Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 briefing note 4

The number of human cases of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 is still increasing substantially in many countries, even in countries that have already been affected for some time.

Our understanding of the disease continues to evolve as new countries become affected, as community-level spread extends in already affected countries, and as information is shared globally. Many countries with widespread community transmission have moved to testing only samples of ill persons and have shifted surveillance efforts to monitoring and reporting of trends.

This shift has been recommended by WHO, because as the pandemic progresses, monitoring trends in disease activity can be done better by following trends in illness cases rather than trying to test all ill persons, which can severely stress national resources. It remains a top priority to determine which groups of people are at highest risk of serious disease so steps to best to protect them can be taken.

In addition to surveillance information, WHO is relying on the results of special research and clinical studies and other data provided by countries directly through frequent expert teleconferences on clinical, virological and epidemiological aspects of the pandemic, to gain a global overview of the evolving situation.

WHO | Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 briefing note 4

Al Jazeera English - H1N1 virus spreads to 160 countries

The H1N1 flu virus has spread to at least 160 countries across the world, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.

The global virus, which the UN health agency declared a pandemic in June, has resulted in nearly 800 deaths worldwide since it was first detected in Mexico four months ago, WHO officials said in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday.

'The spread of this virus continues, if you see 160 out of 193 WHO member states now have cases, so we are nearing almost 100 per cent, but not quite yet,' said Gregory Hartl, a WHO spokesman.

'For the moment we haven't seen any changes in the behaviour of the virus,' he said.

'What we are seeing still is a geographic expansion across countries.'

Al Jazeera English - H1N1 virus spreads to 160 countries

Reuters: U.S. has bought 195 million doses of H1N1 vaccine

The U.S. government has bought 195 million doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine for a possible autumn vaccination campaign, a U.S. federal official said Thursday.

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department has also contracted for 120 million doses of adjuvant, a compound to stretch the number of doses of vaccine needed, the department's Dr. Robin Robinson told a meeting of Food and Drug Administration advisers.

Five companies are making H1N1 vaccine for the U.S. market -- AstraZeneca's MedImmune unit, Australia's CSL Ltd, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Novartis AG and Sanofi-Aventis SA.

Earlier, an FDA official said vaccine makers were only getting about 30 percent as much vaccine from eggs as they usually get with seasonal influenza vaccine.

Reuters: U.S. has bought 195 million doses of H1N1 vaccine

CBC News - Health officials: Tamiflu-resistant strain is rare

Health officials say a recent Quebec case of drug-resistant swine flu shouldn't prompt Canada to change its approach to Tamiflu, as the strain remains rare worldwide.

A 60-year-old Quebec man is one of five people around the world found to have a strain of H1N1 flu resistant to the antiviral drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir). The other cases occurred in Japan, Denmark and Hong Kong.

The Quebecer was given a low preventive dose of Tamiflu as a precaution because he had a pulmonary condition and doctors thought he might have been exposed to swine flu.

CBC News - Health officials: Tamiflu-resistant strain is rare

Sky News UK: Swine Flu Latest: 100,000 New Swine Flu Cases Reported In Past Week

One hundred thousand new cases of swine flu have been recorded in the last seven days.

The figure for England is double the total of the previous week.

Some 840 people are described as being 'seriously ill' in hospital with the illness - and 63 people are being treated in intensive care.

The death toll in the UK stands at 31, but that is likely to climb when the Department of Health releases its weekly update online later.

Sky News UK: Swine Flu Latest: 100,000 New Swine Flu Cases Reported In Past Week

ComputerWorld Hong Kong: Swine flu raises telework questions

The possibility of a widespread swine flu outbreak is prompting companies to think about business continuity and how options such as telework or telecommuting may become a necessity.
A recent whitepaper by Nortel Networks on business continuity and teleworking posed the following questions to enterprises:

1. Can your business operate at 60% of its employee capacity?

2. Due to quarantine mandates, can you maintain business operations when you cannot permit your employees to work from their office?

3. How do you continue to conduct business when health officials and your organization have banned your business travel into affected geographical areas?

4. During times of crisis, do you have the capability and capacity to seamlessly communicate status and share information with all stakeholders

Companies that have solid telework plans in place are in good shape, says Chuck Wilsker, president and CEO of the Telework Coalition in the US.
Those that aren’t prepared to have employees work offsite may find operations at a standstill if the swine flu threat were to escalate to the point of widespread absenteeism or building closures.

ComputerWorld Hong Kong: Swine flu raises telework questions

Cartoons

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CBS News Video: H1N1 Pregnancy Risks

On CBS News dr. Jennifer Ashton spoke with Harry Smith about the heightened flu danger for pregnant women.

CBS News Video: H1N1 Pregnancy Risks