Yoshihiro Kawaoka

The H1N1 influenza virus uses a unique and never before seen means of hijacking host cells and amplifying its infection in humans, a new study reports.

H1N1

Despite warnings that it would aid in the spread of H1N1, approximately one out of every four people failed to cover their mouths when they cough, research presented at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases revealed.

H1N1

The World Health Organization is preparing to downgrade the status of the H1N1 influenza pandemic at a meeting of its emergency committee, which is expected to take place in late July

H1N1

Health officials in the United Kingdom have received good marks by an independent review committee for their response to the H1N1 pandemic.

H1N1

June 30 marked the expiration date of 40 million doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine that had been manufactured for the U.S. public.

H1N1

Officials with SciClone Pharmaceuticals and its partner. Sigma-Tau S.p.A., recently announced the final results from the clinical trial of ZADAXIN, an H1N1 vaccine enhancer.

H1N1

Molecular diagnostic tests used during the peak of the H1N1 outbreak in 2009 have officially had their emergency use statuses terminated last week.

H1N1

In response to the pandemic H1N1 virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recommended that unvaccinated children from the ages of six months to nine years of age be administered two doses of next autumn’s trivalent vaccine.

H1N1

H1N1 influenza, in federal terms, is no longer a public health emergency.

H1N1

Medical News Today reports that American employers were proactive in dealing with the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic according to a recently released survey.

H1N1

Officials with the World Health Organization have announced that swine flu containment measures failed to work as planned and will likely need to be revised before future pandemics occur.

H1N1

Chinese researchers have announced that a hybrid virus that has been found in pigs in Hong Kong contains elements of the 2009 human pandemic flu virus as well as two swine flu strains.

H1N1

Two recent medical studies have concluded that secondary transmission of H1N1 virus in households is low. Both reports were published recently on the online edition of Epidemiology and Infection.

H1N1

The Gaea Times reports that a published study in the British Medical Journal links long-haul flights to possibly contracting the H1N1 virus.

H1N1

French researchers now believe that the effects of H1N1 may not have differed from seasonal flu epidemic effects on certain age groups as much as was initially believed.

H1N1

Oseltamivir ring prophylaxis helped slow down H1N1 influenza outbreaks in Singapore military camps in 2009, according to the results of a study reported in the June issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

H1N1

Health officials in Hong Kong announced on Thursday that they intend to throw away 2.8 million doses of unwanted swine flu vaccines valued at approximately $28.2 million.

Flu vaccine

The recently-published results of a new Harvard study concluded that a significant portion of the American public may not be willing to get immunized with another new flu vaccine, according to a Homeland Security Today news report.

Researchers in the U.K. say that a trial of swine flu vaccines has shown to provide “good protection” against the virus, according to the results of a Health Production Agency study released by the BBC.

H1N1

MedPage Today reports that recent studies have shown one of the two vaccines used in England to prevent the H1N1 pandemic from spreading was more effective on children but also caused more side effects.

H1N1

The H1N1 virus outbreak appears to be contained and conquered in Alabama, according to a report by WAFF.

H1N1

A test for the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Virus in patients displaying signs and symptoms of respiratory infection has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

H1N1

While the reasons varied, the overall consensus was the same – most people who did not receive the H1N1 vaccine last year did not think the flu was a serious risk according to a review that was recently published in the online version of the New England J

Novavax, Inc.

Novavax, Inc., has published results of a pandemic H1N1 vaccine pre-clinical trial in the May 12 online edition of the journal Vaccine.

The People's Daily Online reports that the A/H1N1 flu continues to affect Brazil.

NEW YORK — The flu shot is safe for most kids with egg allergies, according to a new report in Pediatrics released April 5.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the 2009 H1N1 flu viruses are expected to circulate throughout 2010, including during the Southern Hemisphere flu season.

H1N1

Despite months of dire warnings and millions in taxpayer dollars, less than half of the 229 million doses of H1N1 vaccine the government bought to fight the pandemic have been administered.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the vaccination rates for the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus are different around the country. New England has the highest rates while the South is having the lowest.

World Health Organization

Cuba will begin vaccinating nearly 10 percent of its citizens against swine flu this week, reversing its previous skepticism about the high cost and effectiveness of immunization to combat the virus, The Associated Press reported March 26.

H1N1

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington’s limit on the amount of mercury allowed in H1N1 flu vaccines for certain people is ending, the state’s Department of Health announced March 23.

World Health Organization

A group of outside experts will scrutinize the WHO's response to the H1N1flu outbreak and likely examine whether the global body could have been clearer when it declared a pandemic of what has turned out to be a relatively mild disease.

Flu indicators are showing signs of increased and sustained pandemic flu activity in some Southeastern states, though rates remain steady at the national level, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said March 26.

H1N1

Two people with compromised immune systems who became ill with 2009 H1N1 influenza developed drug-resistant strains of virus after less than two weeks on therapy, doctors from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases reported March 26.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

The influenza viruses responsible for the pandemics of 1918 and 2009 share a structural detail that makes both susceptible to neutralization by the same antibodies, according to research by the NIAID.

H1N1

LONDON — Pregnant women in Australia and New Zealand who had pandemic H1N1 flu were 13 times more likely to become critically ill and be admitted to hospital, researchers said March 19.

H1N1

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Novavax Inc. confirmed March 24 that its potential H1N1 flu vaccine prompted an immune response in patients during a midstage study.

Last fall, as H1N1 flu cases mounted and parents desperately sought to protect their kids, the hard-to-get vaccine was handed out in some surprising places.

Health care personnel influenza immunization rates have remained low, despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

H1N1

While the pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine seems to be just as safe as seasonal flu vaccines, the federal government has been getting some letters from people saying they plan to seek compensation for injuries caused by the injection.

The H1N1 flu appears to spread more slowly than "regular" seasonal flu in a household setting, but when it does spread it's more likely to affect children, a new study suggests.

H1N1

NEW DELHI — India is “most likely” to administer imported swine flu vaccine to the high-risk groups from next week, a senior health ministry official said March 10.

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Novavax Inc. announced March 8 that more than 3,500 volunteers ages 18 to 64 in Mexico have been enrolled in Stage B of its 2009 H1N1 virus-like-particle pandemic influenza vaccine study.

With spring break coming up and large numbers of students expected to travel both domestically and internationally, getting vaccinated against 2009 H1N1 influenza is especially important.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded Abt Associates two new contracts to evaluate the effectiveness of the H1N1 vaccine among health care workers and children younger than 18, the company announced March 5.

H1N1

WASHINGTON — First, people were clamoring for H1N1 vaccines, but there were not enough to go around. By the time vaccines were available in any quantity, most of the public had lost interest.

H1N1

NEW DELHI — The country's first indigenously produced vaccine against H1N1 virus will be ready for use from mid-May, The Times of India reported March 4.

H1N1

NEW YORK — New research from Australia confirms that the HIN1 flu hits pregnant women particularly hard — especially if they have asthma, obesity or diabetes.

H1N1

MUMBAI — Panacea Biotec announced March 3 that it has signed an advance market agreement with the government of India to manufacture Pandyflu, the company's H1N1 flu vaccine.

NEW ORLEANS — Most children with egg protein allergies who received influenza vaccinations had no adverse reactions, researchers said at the annual meeting of American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, according to MedPage Today.

World Health Organization

GENEVA — The current H1N1 swine flu pandemic is relatively less severe than some other influenza outbreaks, the World Health Organization said Feb. 24

BERKELEY, Calif. — Dynavax Technologies Corp. announced Feb. 25 that it has selected a clinical vaccine candidate for its novel Universal Flu program and completed key preclinical studies.

H5N1

SAN DIEGO — Vical Inc. announced Feb. 24 the publication in the online edition of Vaccine1 detailed data from two Phase 1 trials of its Vaxfectin-adjuvanted DNA vaccines for H5N1 (avian-origin) influenza.

The 2009 H1N1 flu virus, which has sickened millions and killed at least 15,000 people worldwide, will be included in the United States’ next seasonal flu vaccine when it becomes available in the fall, government health experts decided.

Humenza

LYON, France — Sanofi Pasteur announced Feb. 19 that its adjuvanted H1N1 influenza vaccine Humenza has received a positive opinion from the scientific committee of the European Medicines Agency.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africa faces a possible health crisis if an H1N1 flu outbreak strikes during the soccer World Cup this year, the country’s health minister told parliament Feb. 15, Reuters reported.

Kathleen Sebelius

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius spoke at the 2010 Public Health Preparedness Summit about the lessons learned so far from the response to the H1N1 flu pandemic and efforts to strengthen health preparedness.

H1N1

LONDON — The World Health Organization is recommending that swine flu be added to regular flu vaccines next season, The Associated Press reported Feb. 18.

DOHA, Qatar — Qatar's Supreme Council of Health has decided to cancel imports of the H1N1 vaccine, after a drop in the number of H1N1 influenza cases in the country, The Peninsula reported Feb. 10.

H1N1

DAKAR, Senegal — Modou Diagne Fada, Senegal’s minister of health and preventive medicine, confirmed that the country had been hit by the epidemic H1N1 influenza, AfricaNews reported Feb. 9

World Health Organization

GENEVA — The World Health Organization will convene its emergency committee later this month to examine whether the H1N1 flu pandemic has peaked, its top influenza expert said Feb. 11.

Social interaction between neighbors, work colleagues and other communities and social groups makes voluntary vaccination programs for epidemics such as H1N1 flu, SARS or avian flu a surprisingly effective method of disease control.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently addressed questions about the vaccine for the 2010-11 flu season on its Web site.

JERUSALEM —There are currently 4.6 million doses in the country as only 700,000 have been used, The Jerusalem Post reported Feb. 9.

H1N1

Growing concern in Romania about the opaque circumstances in which a vaccine against H1N1 flu is being tested on children has forced health authorities to postpone the launch of the vaccination campaign by at least one month.

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization reported that 225 cases of H1N1 flu with resistance to oseltamivir (Tamiflu) have been found worldwide, and resistant viruses have spread from person to person in several clusters but have not spilled into the community.

H1N1

At the height of fears over H1N1 flu this fall, some vaccination foes claimed it was safer to get illness than to be inoculated against it.

WASHINGTON — H1N1 flu is still circulating around the world and still killing people, although it is on the decline everywhere, global health officials said Feb. 5.

H1N1

BOSTON – The latest poll from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health shows that 44 percent of Americans believe the H1N1 flu outbreak is over, and levels of concern about getting sick with the virus continue to decline.

More than 75 million Americans, or close to 25 percent of the population, have been vaccinated against the pandemic H1N1 virus, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Feb. 4.

World Health Organization

There is now so much unused H1N1 pandemic flu vaccine in the world that rich nations, including the United States, are trying to get rid of their surpluses.

H1N1

HARTFORD, Conn. — More than 11,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine distributed in Connecticut have been recalled because of decreased potency, the third such recall in two months, The Hartford Courant reported Feb. 3.

More than 30 health providers and organizations released an open letter advising people to get vaccinated. Below is the text of that letter.

H1N1

TORONTO — Canada has revealed what it will do with a portion of the country's large H1N1 vaccine surplus, announcing Jan. 28 that it is giving 5 million doses to the World Health Organization.

The World Health Organization released a statement Jan. 22 addressing allegations of a conflict of interest and a fake pandemic meant to aid the pharmaceutical industry.

H1N1

Two weeks after A/H1N1 killed a 38-year-old woman and eight others subsequently tested positive, Lagos state government disclosed that Nigeria currently "has no vaccine to treat the flu virus in stock," AllAfrica.com reported Jan. 20

H1N1 Flu Vaccine

LONDON — Just one in three nurses in London has been vaccinated against the H1N1 flu, the National Health Service has admitted.

WASHINGTON — Most of the adverse effects to the H1N1 flu vaccine are "non-serious," according to the commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, UPI reported Jan. 20.

Archie Griffin

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Health partnered with Archie Griffin, a two-time Heisman Trophy winner and Ohio State University alumnus, to encourage Ohioans to tackle H1N1 by getting a flu vaccine.

ZURICH — Switzerland's medical regulator recommended that patients with serious autoimmune diseases should not use an H1N1 flu vaccine from Novartis, saying there were no studies assessing the inoculation in that segment of the population.

Hundreds of thousands of children are overdue for a second dose of H1N1 vaccine that's needed to fully protect them from swine flu, a USA Today review of data from 10 states shows.

ATLANTA — About one in five Americans has been vaccinated against H1N1 flu, according to the government's first detailed estimates of vaccination rates against the pandemic, the Washington Post reported Jan. 16.

World Health Organization

LONDON — GlaxoSmithKline confirmed Jan. 15 that approximately 130 million doses of its pandemic H1N1 adjuvanted vaccine were shipped to governments in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Many travelers are expected to visit Asia in the upcoming weeks to celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Tiger when it begins Feb. 14.

World Health Organization

WARSAW, Poland — The government here refused to import H1N1 flu vaccines amid worldwide warnings of a spreading epidemic.

BANGALORE, India — SciClone Pharmaceuticals Inc. said its adjuvant, Zadaxin, in combination with Novartis' H1N1 vaccine increased immune response, Reuters reported Jan. 12.

Jason Derülo

“Whatcha Say” singer Jason Derülo had a stellar 2009 — a No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 single, an opening spot on Lady Gaga's Monster Ball Tour — and he knows that if he wants to step it up in 2010, he's going to have to stay healthy.

H1N1

VaxInnate Corp. has granted Indian biopharmaceutical company Biological E. Ltd. a license to its recombinant H1N1 flu vaccine and is collaborating to facilitate the manufacture, clinical development and commercialization of the vaccine in India.

HiN1

VIENNA — AVIR Green Hills Biotechnology, based in Austria, announced Jan. 13 that it is embarking on the first clinical phase II study for the seasonal vaccine deltaFLU

BEIJING — Sinovac Biotech Ltd. announced Jan. 13 that it has received its fifth purchase order for its H1N1 vaccine, Panflu.1, from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for the national purchase plan.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Charleston Area Medical Center plans to terminate two employees for refusing to take a seasonal flu vaccine, the Charleston Daily Mail reported Jan. 13.

H1N1

LONDON — Sanofi-Aventis is meeting all its U.S. contracts for sales of H1N1 flu vaccine, despite Washington's decision to cut supplies from rival drugmaker CSL, a company spokesman told Reuters on Jan. 11.

LONDON — GlaxoSmithKline Plc agreed to reduce Germany’s order of Pandemrix H1N1 flu vaccine by $193 million on Jan. 12 after health officials decided they need fewer doses, the country’s Health Ministry said.

World Health Organization

GENEVA — The World Health Organization is to examine its handling of the H1N1 pandemic, the group said Jan. 12, after accusations by some politicians that it exaggerated the dangers of the virus under pressure from drug companies.

H1N1

Citing mistakes made in the 1957 flu pandemic, federal officials on Jan. 7 urged hesitant Americans to get vaccinated now against H1N1 flu to prevent any possibility of another wave of illness and deaths.

President Barack Obama, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a nationwide effort to encourage H1N1 flu vaccination during National Influenza Vaccination Week from Jan. 10–16.

Flu Vaccine

Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis AG announced Jan. 8 that France canceled 7 million of the 16 million ordered doses of H1N1 pandemic flu vaccine.

H1N1

NEW DELHI — Pune-based Serum Institute of India, the largest vaccine maker in the country, has received approval from India’s drugs controller to conduct clinical trials of its H1N1 vaccine, the company announced Jan. 6.

H1N1

OTTAWA — Canada’s health minister has announced the country will provide 5 million doses of H1N1 flu vaccine to Mexico to help bridge that country’s immediate pandemic vaccine requirements.

Flu Vaccine

Flu shots do not protect arthritis patients who are being treated with the intravenous drug rituximab, according to a new study by Dutch researchers, The New York Times and Los Angeles Times reported Jan. 7.

WASHINGTON — The United States has not made a decision on whether to cancel or sell any of its orders for the H1N1 vaccine, unlike some countries in Europe, a federal health official said Jan. 7.

As the number of H1N1 flu cases in some regions of the world continues to fall, developing countries scheduled to receive donated H1N1 vaccines from the World Health Organization are reassessing just how many vaccines their countries need.

H1N1

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted this “fact sheet” about thimerosal in H1N1 vaccines on its Web site Jan. 4.

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Cepheid announced Jan. 4 that it has been granted emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its Xpert Flu A Panel test.

H1N1

Scientists in Vienna have developed a new technique for producing vaccines for H1N1 based on insect cells, according to a report by ScienceDaily on Jan. 4.

World Health Organization

Large trials in the United States, Hungary and China recently confirmed the safety and efficacy of H1N1 vaccines, yielding new insights on how to best use vaccines in a pandemic setting, CIDRAP News reported Jan. 4.

BEIJING — The H1N1 strain of flu is rapidly spreading into China's vast countryside and there could be a spike in cases around the Lunar New Year period when millions head back to their home towns.

H1N1

More than 30 health care provider groups sent an open letter Dec. 30 to the American people emphasizing that the H1N1 vaccine is safe, effective and the best way to protect against the flu.

The Center for Disease Control has reported only four cases of flu-related pediatric mortality across seven states during the week ending January 2.

Squalene

Vaccines being made to protect people from H1N1 flu may not be so healthy for threatened species of sharks, National Geographic News reported Dec. 29.

MTV is making sure the general public is up to date on the basics of the H1N1 virus.

Short-term school closings are not an effective way to block the spread of influenza viruses, and may even be counterproductive, Pennsylvania researchers have found.

World Health Organization

GENEVA — The H1N1 flu pandemic may not be conquered until 2011 and continued vigilance is required against the virus, which can still mutate, the head of the World Health Organization said Dec. 29.

DNA

SAN DIEGO — Vical Inc. announced the publication of data documenting the successful pilot lot production and initiation of animal immunogenicity testing of a Vaxfectin-adjuvanted DNA vaccine for H1N1 influenza.

H1N1

WASHINGTON — The H1N1 flu outbreak has exposed serious underlying gaps in the nation's ability to respond to public health.

World Health Organization

GENEVA — World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan revealed that she has yet to be vaccinated against the H1N1 flu virus, which has killed more than 11,500 people worldwide.

The Center for Disease Control has reported only four cases of flu-related pediatric mortality across seven states during the week ending December 26.

World Health Organization

TORONTO — Canada is in discussions with pandemic vaccine maker GlaxoSmithKline and with the World Health Organization about what to do with the country's expected surplus of H1N1 vaccine, the head of the Public Health Agency of Canada said Dec. 9.

H1N1

The good news on the H1N1 swine flu front is that the number of cases of infection continues to decrease and the vaccine supply is now plentiful, HealthDay News reported.

Flu Vaccine

WASHINGTON — The White House confirms that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have each received the H1N1 shot.

WASHINGTON — The swine flu pandemic may have changed the U.S. approach to handling influenza forever, and for the better, U.S. officials said Dec. 17 according to Reuters.

Basel, Switzerland -- Novartis announced Dec. 21 that the World Health Organization has granted prequalification for all three of its influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccines for supply to United Nations agencies.

Boston -- A new poll by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health shows the shortage of H1N1 vaccine for children is easing, according to a press release dated Dec. 22.

WASHINGTON -- Drugmaker MedImmune is recalling nearly 5 million doses of H1N1 flu vaccine because the nasal spray appears to lose strength over time, federal health officials announced Dec. 22.

H1N1

ZURICH — Switzerland plans to donate or sell approximately 4.5 million excess doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine because of the low uptake of shots, the government said, according to a Reuters report Dec. 18.

H1N1

The second wave of the H1N1 influenza pandemic continued to fade last week, as the number of states with widespread cases dropped to 11 and reported deaths in children also declined.

Can young children get by with just one dose of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine?

The Center for Disease Control has reported only nine cases of flu-related pediatric mortality across seven states during the week ending December 19.

World Health Organization

There have been more than 10,000 swine flu deaths worldwide since April, the World Health Organization said Dec. 18.

Kathleen Sebelius

The nation is reaching a new milestone in its fight against pandemic flu, with the number of vaccine doses expected to reach 100 million by the end of the week and nearly half of states opening up immunization to anyone who wants it.

World Health Organization

Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Mongolia will be the first three countries to receive donated supplies of pandemic H1N1 vaccine funneled through the World Health Organization.

World Health Organization

LONDON — Germany and Spain want to reduce deliveries of swine flu vaccine and potentially return excess supplies to manufacturers, because of low demand for the shots.

MF59

Novartis's pandemic H1N1 flu vaccine generated stronger immune responses when it was combined with an adjuvant than when used alone, though both formulations yielded good results, according to a report published by the New England Journal of Medicine.

H1N1

PARIS — French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis SA aims to double sales at its Sanofi Pasteur vaccines business by 2013, compared to the 2008 level, and reiterated it could make acquisitions in this fast-growing area.

WASHINGTON — Vaccine maker Sanofi Pasteur is recalling 800,000 doses of its pediatric H1N1 swine flu vaccine because it is not as potent as it should be, U.S. officials said Dec. 15.

World Health Organization

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Two more people died of H1N1 flu in the Gaza Strip on Dec. 13, bringing to 10 the total number of Gazans who have been killed by the disease, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

H1N1

Indigenous populations from Australia, Canada and New Zealand have been found to have a three to eight times higher rate of hospitalization and death associated with infection with the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

WASHINGTON — The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has completed enrollment in a small clinical trial testing a candidate DNA vaccine for 2009 H1N1 influenza, the agency announced Dec. 11.

H1N1

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's vaccination campaign against the H1N1 flu strain is not proceeding as fast as it should be partly because people are needlessly worried about the vaccine’s safety, officials said Dec. 11.

Centers for Disease Control

The Centers for Disease Control has reported only nine cases of flu-related pediatric mortality across seven states during the week ending December 12. This the lowest number reported by the CDC so far this quarter.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

HIV-infected adults are being recruited to participate in a clinical trial of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, the National Institutes of Health announced Dec. 10.

World Health Organization

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea has accepted South Korea's offer of drugs to stem an outbreak of H1N1 influenza, in what will be the first direct government aid since relations soured last year.

Blood Collection

A German research team has discovered that a severe pandemic scenario could quickly lead to a deficit of up to 96,000 red blood cell (RBC) transfusion units in Germany alone, creating potentially fatal outcomes.

H1N1

In fatal cases of 2009 H1N1 influenza, the virus can damage cells throughout the respiratory airway, much like the viruses that caused the 1918 and 1957 influenza pandemics.

The H1N1 swine flu has sickened at least 22 million and killed almost 4,000 in the United States since April, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Hartmut Schubert

Six weeks after Germany began vaccinating against swine flu, only about five percent of the population has gotten the shots.

H1N1 Vaccine

Fewer Europeans are getting pandemic flu vaccine than typically get seasonal flu shots, as safety concerns and lower-than-expected death rates have damped demand, Bloomberg reported Dec. 8.

Flu vaccine shortages in developing nations may destabilize global security should the H1N1 virus become more deadly, said David Heymann, a former deputy head of the World Health Organization.

h1N1

WASHINGTON — One of the most systematic looks yet at the H1N1 flu pandemic confirms that it is at worst only a little more serious than an average flu season and could well be a good deal milder, researchers said.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — A union is taking the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to arbitration because five people who refused to get the seasonal flu vaccine said they were fired.

Donating Blood

SHANGHAI — City health authorities launched their latest drive in the fight against swine flu, calling on people who have been vaccinated against the virus to donate blood for emergency-treatment storage.

H1N1

DETROIT — Whether it's mistrust of the government or confusion in the message, minorities aren't lining up to get vaccinated against H1N1 as they should.

world health organization

Two recently treated patients at the Johns Hopkins Hospital had drug-resistant forms of the 2009 H1N1 flu virus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Americans Speak Out: Why We Got the Flu Vaccine, a video that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, features Americans talking about why they chose to get vaccinated against the 2009 H1N1 flu virus.

H1N1

The relatively low number of new cases created by a single case of H1N1 influenza indicates that mitigation strategies such as vaccination, social distancing and the use of antiviral drugs may help lessen the final impact of the virus.

Since the national voluntary H1N1 vaccination campaign began in early October, more than 70 million doses of vaccine have been allocated by the federal government to all 50 states, U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.

Thomas Frieden

Decreasing pandemic flu activity and growing supplies of vaccine offer a window of opportunity for people to protect themselves from the virus, especially if the nation experiences a third wave of infections.

COX-1

With flu season in full swing and the threat of H1N1 looming, demand for vaccines is at an all-time high. However, researchers suggest that over-the-counter drugs may lessen their effect, ScienceDaily reported Dec. 2.

Computer Virus

BOSTON — Hackers are spreading a vicious computer virus through spam e-mail messages that urge recipients to visit a bogus Web site offering vaccinations to protect them against another virus — the one that causes swine flu, Reuters reported Dec. 1.

H1N1

The number of states with widespread pandemic flu activity dropped for the third week in a row, but the virus continued to take a heavy toll on children, with at least 27 more pediatric deaths reported the week of Nov 15 to 21.

H1N1 Flu Vaccine

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Health submitted an order for 259,800 doses of H1N1 flu vaccine to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Nov. 25.

LONDON — GlaxoSmithKline announced Dec. 1 that the World Health Organization has awarded prequalification for global use of Arepanrix, its adjuvanted H1N1 pandemic vaccine manufactured in Canada.

H1N1 Vaccine

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Health reminded parents and health care providers Nov. 30 that children younger than 10 should receive two doses of H1N1 flu vaccine in order to achieve optimal protection against pandemic flu.

BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo — An unknown epidemic caused three deaths and affected more than 100 people in the last few days in the Republic of Congo.

MANILA, Philippines — The World Health Organization promised on Nov. 26 to donate 9 million H1N1 flu shots to the Philippines, and assured the country the vaccines were safe, Reuters reported.

H1N1

GENEVA — Tamiflu resistance in some H1N1 patients with badly weakened immune systems does not seem to reflect a major change in the virus' susceptibility to the frontline drug, the World Health Organization said Nov. 26.

ATLANTA, Ga. — The Centers for Disease Control issued a warning Nov. 25 that catching the H1N1 virus can put patients at risk, not only of developing complications, but also serious bacterial pneumonia.

Mark Horton

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The California Department of Public Health announced the tally for filling H1N1 vaccine orders stands at nearly 5.2 million doses.

H1N1 Vaccine

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Department of Health submitted an order for 438,900 doses of H1N1 flu vaccine to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Nov. 20.

Joel Kettner

LONDON -- Canadian doctors have been advised not to use a batch of 170,000 swine flu vaccines after six reports of serious allergic reactions among recipients.

H1N1

LONDON -- Britain's Health Protection Agency is working with colleagues from the Public Health Service of Wales to investigate several possible cases of person-to-person transmission of oseltamivir-resistant H1N1 flu, the agency reported Nov. 20.

H1N1 Vaccine

BURLINGTON, Vt. -- More than 700 of Vermont's licensed emergency medical technicians and paramedics are now eligible to serve as vaccinators at public and school clinics across the state.

Jean Stephenne

LONDON -- GlaxoSmithKline announced Nov. 23 that more than 40 million doses of its adjuvanted pandemic H1N1 vaccine have been distributed to countries globally for use in government-initiated vaccination programs.

Anne Schuchat

Every holiday season, millions of Americans travel through the nation's airports, seaports, and train stations to spend time with loved ones.

GENEVA -- The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has informed the World Health Organization of a mutation detected in three H1N1 viruses.

DURHAM, N.C. -- Tests have confirmed that samples from four patients with H1N1 influenza were found to be resistant to oseltamivir, known by the brand name Tamiflu.

Santa-America

Santa-America, a service charity, recommends that all Kris Kringles get their jolly old selves vaccinated against H1N1 influenza and pneumonia.

Leaders of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee sharply critiqued the federal government's H1N1 vaccination strategy saying health officials should have recommended targeting only the highest-risk groups as soon as the vaccine delays came.

Anne Schuchat

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal officials, along with representatives from four vaccine companies, appeared before two U.S. House of Representatives committees to answer questions about why the nation hasn't stretched scarce pandemic vaccine supply.

Sid the Science Kid

A special episode of PBS KIDS’ TV show, "Sid the Science Kid," where Sid explores the science behind flu vaccinations is now available for free download on flu.gov.

BETHESDA, Md. — More safety data would be needed before a new type of influenza vaccine made in insect cells should get approval, federal advisers said Nov. 19.

H1N1 Vaccine

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Some health authorities across the country have tossed out hundreds of doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine because of miscalculations over how many of the time-sensitive dosages are needed at community clinics.

H1N1

Public health officials walking a tightrope between massive demand for vaccines and intense public scrutiny of side effects now have a new standard for evaluating the safety of their vaccination programs.

Andrin Oswald

Novartis’ recently sanctioned unadjuvanted influenza H1N1 2009 monovalent vaccine may be effective at just half the dose currently stipulated under its FDA approval, according to interim data from ongoing clinical trials.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Nov. 16 that it has approved a fifth vaccine for protection against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. The vaccine is manufactured by ID Biomedical Corp. of Quebec, Canada, owned by GlaxoSmithKline PLC.

H1N1

LYON, France — Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group announced that the French drug agency Afssaps has granted marketing authorization in France for Panenza, its non-adjuvanted Influenza H1N1 2009 monovalent vaccine.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of the CSL Limited’s 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine to include children ages 6 months and older. This vaccine was previously approved only for use in adults, ages 18 years and older.

H1N1

OTTAWA — Canada's top medical official defended the national H1N1 vaccination campaign on Nov. 12, and said the costs of doing nothing would be far higher than the money spent immunizing millions of people.

World Health Organization

MORRIS PLAINS, N.J. — Temptime Corp. announced that it will donate its vaccine vial monitors to the World Health Organization to monitor potential heat damage of H1N1 vaccines.

SAN DIEGO — Vical Inc. on Nov. 4 reported financial results for the quarter ended Sept. 30.

GALVESTON, Texas — Vical Inc. reported Nov. 10 that it has a strong rationale advocating the use of DNA vaccine technology for emerging and/or pandemic infectious diseases.

Dr. Michael Gale Jr.

SEATTLE— Kineta Inc. has announced that it has been awarded a $6.8 million subcontract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop novel vaccine adjuvants (agents that help boost the immune system).

Dr. Rahul Singhvi

ROCKVILLE, Md. — Novavax Inc. has begun a Phase IIa clinical study of its trivalent seasonal influenza VLP vaccine candidate in healthy adults over age 60.

Dr. Anthony Fauci

The head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said the unpredictable H1N1 flu pandemic is not over and implored parents to get their children vaccinated.

Andrew Witty

LONDON — GlaxoSmithKline on Nov. 10 announced that it has signed an agreement with the World Health Organization to donate 50 million doses of its adjuvanted pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine for distribution to developing countries most in need.

Jean Stéphenne

LONDON — GlaxoSmithKline announced Nov. 9 the results from the clinical trial assessing Pandemrix, GSK’s adjuvanted H1N1 influenza vaccine, administered at the same time as the annual seasonal influenza vaccine, Fluarix.

The following is an open letter dated Nov. 10 to health care professionals from Margaret A. Hamburg, commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

Flu Finder

This year, it's especially important to have clear information on what you can do to prepare for the flu season.

Tatyana Golikova

MOSCOW — Russia's health minister warned the media against spreading panic over a swine and seasonal flu outbreak and said the situation was under control.

Arthur Griffin Jr

NEW YORK — School district leaders planning for H1N1 pandemics should update emergency plans using a four-step process, according to the McGraw-Hill Education Urban Advisory Resource.

Kazakhstan Flag

ASTANA, Kazakhstan — Kazakhstan will start testing a domestically produced H1N1 vaccine soon, the country's chief sanitary official Kenes Ospanov said Nov. 4.

Beijing

BEIJING — Beijing health authorities said Nov. 6 that they would extend the H1N1 flu vaccine inoculation to all the city's 16

Andrin Oswald

BASEL, Switzerland — Novartis announced Nov. 5 that it received approval from the German regulatory authorities for its adjuvanted cell culture-based Influenza H1N1 2009 monovalent vaccine, Celtura.

Robert J. Blendon

BOSTON — A new national poll from Harvard School of Public Health researchers found that a majority of adults who tried to get the H1N1 vaccine for themselves or their children have been unable to do so.

The Center for Disease Control has reported 35 flu-related pediatric deaths that occurred in 17 states during the week ending November 9. The previous week only reported 18 deaths in nine states.

Dr. Thomas Farley

New Yorkers have turned out in record numbers for seasonal flu shots this fall – depleting vaccine supplies and prompting the Health Department to issue new recommendations for vaccination.

Dr. Thomas Frieden

NEW YORK — Some of New York's biggest companies received doses of swine flu vaccine for at-risk employees, drawing criticism that the hard-to-find vaccine is going first to the privileged.

Bevan Baker

MILWAUKEE — More than 900 doses of Milwaukee's allotted H1N1 flu vaccine will have to be returned to the manufacturer, officials said, after a truck used to transport the vaccine was stolen.

WASHINGTON —The Defense Department has started receiving H1N1 vaccines and will begin distributing doses in the coming weeks, the American Forces Press Service reported Nov. 4.

Richard Blumenthal

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal has written 13 makers and distributors of scarce seasonal flu vaccine regarding allegations of price fixing and preferential treatment for big retailers.

Dr. Roger Beachy

WASHINGTON — An international team of scientists has completed the first draft of the genome of a domesticated pig. This first draft sequence will spur advancements in swine production and human medicine.

Anthony Fauci

Healthy pregnant women mount a robust immune response following just one dose of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, according to initial results from an ongoing clinical trial.

NIAID

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases announced interim trial results showing that children 9 years old and younger have improved immune response when given a second 15-microgram dose of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine.

Shahul H. Ebrahim

The 2009 Hajj pilgrimage, expected to draw more than 2.5 million people from more than 160 countries to Muslim holy sites in Saudi Arabia, may present a serious public health challenge.

Guantanamo

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Terrorism suspects held at the Guantanamo Bay naval base will soon get swine flu vaccines, despite complaints that American civilians should have priority, a military spokesman said Nov. 1 in a report by the Associated Press.

Dr. Anne Gershon

To better protect patients and health care workers, the Infectious Diseases Society of America recently strengthened its policy on mandatory immunization of workers. The strengthened statement applies to both seasonal influenza and 2009 H1N1 influenza.

Dr. William Schaffner

PHILADELPHIA — Pregnant women who get the flu vaccine are less likely to have babies who are premature or are small for their gestational age, according to two new studies.

First Family

WASHINGTON — Yes, President Barack Obama and his family have had their shots. According to the White House, all four members of the Obama family have received their seasonal flu vaccine.

Dr. Luis Estruch

HAVANA — Cuba is ready to use just about everything at its disposal, from its well-oiled civil defense system to the soldiers of a totalitarian government, to keep swine flu cases to a minimum.

Kathleen Sebelius

WASHINGTON — Conceding that their original predictions about pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine supplies were too optimistic, the government's top government health and safety officials today told vaccine-seekers to be patient — more is coming.

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.

Dr Margaret Chan

Reversing a downward trend, immunization rates are at their highest ever and vaccine development worldwide is booming, according to an assessment released Oct. 21 by the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the World Bank.

Rahul Singhvi

Novavax Inc. announced Oct. 23 that it has initiated a two-stage clinical study of its virus-like-particle (VLP) H1N1 influenza vaccine in Mexico in collaboration with Avimex Laboratories and GE Healthcare.

Dora Anne Mills, Maine CDC

Maine’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention, part of the state Department of Health and Human Services, will offer funding to provide seasonal influenza and H1N1 influenza vaccines in K-12 schools.

Margaret Donnelly

Missouri’s top public health official granted an exemption Oct. 22 to allow pregnant women and parents of children younger than 3 to choose whether or not to receive flu vaccine containing a mercury-based preservative.

Leona Aglukkaq

OTTAWA - Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq announced that Health Canada has approved Arepanrix, a vaccine against the H1N1 flu virus.

A U.S. government formulation designed to defend against a bio-terrorism attack is available for commercial use to eliminate the H1N1 Virus, MRSA, SARS and other dangerous bacterium and pathogens found in hospitals, schools and public institutions.

Dr. Francis Collins

CHICAGO — There is nothing unique or scary about the new H1N1 flu vaccine that should keep people from getting it, said Dr. Francis Collins, director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Anthony S. Fauci

The first clinical trials to test whether the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine can safely elicit a protective immune response in HIV-infect

Gregory A. Poland

Infectious disease experts warn that many adults haven't received vaccinations for at least half a dozen other preventable diseases —

Internet scams are taking advantage of the public’s concern over H1N1, forcing two government agencies to act.