Thomas Frieden

Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently told the annual Flu Conference that he did not raise false alarms about the seriousness of the H1N1 flu last year.

Approximately 16 million remaining doses of monovalent 2009 H1N1 vaccine made by Sanofi Pasteur and packaged in multidose vials will expire sooner than expected.

As public health groups begin to shift gears from focusing on the pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine to the new seasonal vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control has adopted its advisory board’s call for universal influenza vaccination.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a copy of a June 28 letter sent to CSL Biotherapies, the operators of an Australian influenza vaccine producing facility, detailing irregularities there.

Officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a rough draft Wednesday of proposed guidelines for preventing H1N1 and seasonal influenza in a healthcare setting.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that it has developed a test to diagnose human infections with the H1N1 influenza virus that can now be used by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently declined to include mandatory vaccination policies for healthcare workers as a strategy to improve vaccination rates.

West Nile Virus

Several cases of West Nile Virus have been reported in Georgia so far this year, leading experts to worry that the virus has appeared earlier than usual.

A joint public meeting focused on improving the system for tracing food products and ingredients that are causing illness outbreaks or presenting other risks to the health of consumers is scheduled for Dec. 9 and 10 in Washington.

Sharon Hillier

An early clinical study shows that a vaccine to prevent Group B Streptococcus infection is safe and modestly effective, according to findings presented Oct. 30 at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Gov. Paterson

The mandatory influenza immunization requirement for New York health care workers was suspended Oct. 22 so that the limited vaccine supplies can be used for populations most at risk of serious illness and death.