Newsletter 6 Jaunuari 2010

New Issue
Fall flu wave tested pediatric hospitals with tough choices
... Pediatric hospitals throughout the United States have been at ground zero during both waves of the pandemic. The patients they care for are among the groups at highest risk for complications from the pandemic virus—young people with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, neuromuscular disorders, and forms of cancer.
Source: CIDRAP

Research
Health Care Worker Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs Regarding Mandatory Influenza Vaccination
Results: Many employees (70%) thought influenza vaccination should be mandatory for health care workers who did not have a medical contraindication. Nearly everyone, 363 of 391 (94%), who favored mandatory immunization had been immunized themselves. Of those who opposed mandatory immunization, 45 of 81 (55.6%) had been immunized (P < .001). Individuals who supported mandatory policies were more likely to believe that the vaccine is safe for both children and adults. There was no significant difference between the percentages of promandate and antimandate employees who believed influenza was dangerous for the patients where they work (66.5% and 62%, respectively, P = .07). Only 29% of antimandate employees believed they were at high risk of contracting influenza, compared with 51% of promandate employees (P < .001). Conclusions: Approval of mandatory influenza vaccine policies was high; however, attitudes about the dangers of influenza for patients were not associated with acceptance of mandatory vaccination policies for health care workers. Educational efforts targeting health care workers' fears and misconceptions about influenza vaccines might help to decrease the reservoir of unimmunized health care workers. [...] Source: Archpedi Comment Parting Shots: Now There’s Too Much H1N1 Flu Vaccine
A bunch of European countries ordered too much swine flu vaccine, so after months of waiting around for the flu shots to show up, they now find themselves canceling orders.
Source: Wall Street Journal Blog

Risk Communication
Blame it on Swine Flu - Hand Sanitizers Rival Pens as Most Popular Promo Product
The Advertising Specialty Institute announced that hand sanitizers now rival pens as one of the most popular logoed items that companies are giving away to clients and employees.
Indeed, searches of the key words “hand sanitizers” by promotional products distributors via the Advertising Specialty Institute’s promotional products database jumped 439% for the period between October 2009 and October 2008. Only searches for pens - which for years have been the best-selling logoed product in the promotional products industry - were higher that period. In addition, searches for sanitizer products of all kinds jumped by triple digits this year.
Source: Yahoo News - Advertising Specialty Institute

Photo

Figures in a Nativity scene, depicting the birth of Jesus Christ, wear face masks in a shop in the H1N1-hit city of Naples, Italy on November 5, 2009. Italy has reported 26 victims of the H1N1 influenza virus have died, and 41,000 people have been vaccinated in the country by the start of November. (REUTERS/Stefano Renna/Agnfoto)
Source: Boston

Quote
"The flu will be with us for a few more months." WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib.
WHO chief gets H1N1 flu vaccination
Source: Reuters

News Flash
Most Healthcare Workers Support Compulsory Influenza Vaccinations
Medscape
Most healthcare workers (HCWs) approve of mandatory influenza vaccines for hospital employees, and their numbers could be further boosted by giving opponents more information, according to a study released yesterday in the January 2010 issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
NEW: Fact Sheet: Safety of Thimerosal in Vaccines Against 2009 H1N1 Flu
from CDC Swine Flu Updates
CDC is aware that pregnant women, parents of young children, and others may have questions about the safety of thimerosal in vaccines against 2009 H1N1 flu. The following fact sheet provides some information to help in making decisions.
IOM issues report on impacts of pandemic
Cidrap
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently published a report on the US and international impacts of the H1N1 pandemic, based on a workshop that was held in mid September and involved a committee of about 25 experts.
Flu Season: Factory Farming Could Cause A Catastrophic Pandemic
Huffington Post
I was intrigued (and disturbed) by a book I just read online -- www.BirdFluBook.org -- by Michael Greger, M.D. about the potential of a deadly flu pandemic, the likes of which we have never seen.
Detroit elementary students get free pizza for turning in H1N1 forms
Detroit News
Happy's Pizza is to provide a pizza party for students at Wilkins Elementary School on Wednesday as a reward for returning completed H1N1 vaccination forms.

Disclaimer: Newsletter ini hanya merupakan kumpulan dari artikel/liputan/tulisan yang diambil dari berbagai sumber mengenai situasi terkini pandemi influenza di seluruh dunia termasuk Indonesia. Namun demikian isi/ilustrasi/foto tidak mewakili kepentingan atau kebijakan KOMNAS FBPI secara langsung

Newsletter 5 Januari 2010

New Issue
Insect Cells Provide the Key to Alternative Swine Flu Vaccination
Scientists in Vienna have developed a new technique for producing vaccines for H1N1 -- so-called swine flu -- based on insect cells. The research, published in the Biotechnology Journal, reveals how influenza vaccines can be produced faster than through the traditional method of egg-based production, revealing a new strategy for the fight against influenza pandemics.
Source: Science Daily

Research
Immune response after a single vaccination against 2009 influenza A H1N1 in USA: a preliminary report of two randomised controlled phase 2 trials
Eric Plennevaux PhD a, Eric Sheldon MD b, Mark Blatter MD c, Mary-Kate Reeves-Hoché PhD d, Dr Martine Denis DVM a Background
Data are needed from large clinical trials of paediatric, adult, and elderly people to find the appropriate antigen dose and vaccination schedule for the 2009 pandemic influenza A H1N1. We therefore report preliminary safety and immunogenicity results after one injection of a licensed monovalent pandemic H1N1 vaccine in the USA. [...]
Findings
410 of 423 children and 724 of 750 adults given an active vaccine, and 50 of 51 children and 95 of 99 adults given placebo were assessed for immunogenicity on day 21. After active vaccination, 45 of 101 (45%; 95% CI 35—55) to 47 of 94 (50%; 40—61) infants aged 6—35 months, 75 of 109 (69%; 59—77) to 80 of 106 (75%; 66—83) 3—9-year-old children, 134 of 141 (95%; 90—98) to 144 of 144 (100%; 98—100) of 18—64-year-old adults, and 93 of 100 (93%; 86—96) to 93 of 98 (95%; 89—98) elderly adults were seroprotected (proportion with titres ≥1:40). No vaccine-related serious adverse events occurred. Injection-site and systemic reactions were reported by up to about 50% of every age and vaccine group, with no noticeable differences between vaccine and placebo groups. [...]
Source: The Lancet

Comment
What will happen to swine flu in 2010?
By Fergus Walsh
[...] Swine flu has not entirely gone away, and there are still patients critically ill in hospital with the complications of the virus. But it is nothing like as bad as had been feared. The latest figures from the Health Protection Agency show that cases continue to decline across the UK with the majority of infections being mild.
[...] The biggest concern would be virus mutation. But there are no tangible signs of a mutated H1N1 pandemic virus spreading in the community. So far, so reassuring - but let's wait and see what the year holds. So many people have been infected with swine flu that there is now quite a bit of herd immunity in Britain, which might itself force the virus to change its genetic make-up in order to keep circulating. [...]
Source: BBC

Risk Communication
Ads During Bowl Games Will Urge Students to Get Swine-Flu Vaccine
With the H1N1 flu continuing to pose a particular threat to young people, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is using college-football bowl games to again urge college students and other young people to get vaccinated against the influenza disease, commonly known as swine flu.
Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education

Photo
An Afghan boy tries to sell protective masks on a market in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Nov. 9, 2009. H1N1 has left 11 people dead in Afghanistan, where hundreds of Afghan and international troops are battling the disease and facing a rising militant insurgency. The Afghan Ministry of Public Health reported Monday that 710 of the 779 cases of the flu in the nation have been among military personnel. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus) #
Source: Boston.com

Quote
"The pillows and blankets do not pose a specific health risk, but removing them is one way that Southwest can be proactive in reducing the spread of swine flu. We would rather take precaution and ensure that our flight attendants and fellow Employees who assist tidying the aircraft do not handle these items that have also had contact from the public".
Source: Business Journal of Phoenix

News Flash
Deadly animal diseases poised to infect humans
Independent
The world is facing a growing threat from new diseases that are jumping the human-animal species barrier as a result of environmental disruption, global warming and the progressive urbanisation of the planet, scientists have warned.
FDA Warns Public of Continued Extortion Scam by FDA Impersonators
FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning the public about criminals posing as FDA special agents and other law enforcement personnel as part of an international extortion scam.
Oriental Magpie Robin tested H5N1 positive in HK
Xinhua
HONG KONG, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of Hong Kong said Monday that an Oriental Magpie Robin, a common resident bird in the city, found in a country park in the New Territories was confirmed H5N1 positive.
Kapuas, South Kalimantan ::: Mass chicken deaths confirmed H5N1 positive
Bird Flu Corner
Kuala Kapuas – Thousands of chickens confirmed to have died of bird flu H5N1 virus in Kabupaten Kapuas. Confirmation test to dead bird specimens, such as organ, serum and swab, was done by Veterinary Investigation and Diagnostic Center (BPPV) Regional V, Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan.

Disclaimer: Newsletter ini hanya merupakan kumpulan dari artikel/liputan/tulisan yang diambil dari berbagai sumber mengenai situasi terkini pandemi influenza di seluruh dunia termasuk Indonesia. Namun demikian isi/ilustrasi/foto tidak mewakili kepentingan atau kebijakan KOMNAS FBPI secara langsung.

Newsletter 4 Januari 2010

New Issue
Short-term school closures may worsen flu pandemics
Washington: Closing schools for less than a fortnight during a flu pandemic may actually increase infection rates and prolong an epidemic.
These findings by University of Pittsburgh researchers, based on a series of computer simulations, indicate that schools may need to be closed for at least eight weeks in order to cut down the spread of infection. [...]
Source: http://www.samachaar.in

Research
Household Transmission of 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus in the United States
Simon Cauchemez, Ph.D., etc
Background As of June 11, 2009, a total of 17,855 probable or confirmed cases of 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) had been reported in the United States. Risk factors for transmission remain largely uncharacterized. We characterize the risk factors and describe the transmission of the virus within households. [...]
Conclusions The transmissibility of the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus in households is lower than that seen in past pandemics. Most transmissions occur soon before or after the onset of symptoms in a case patient. [...]
Source: The New England Journal of Medicine

Comment
Swine flu 2009: what went right and tip of the hat
New York Times correspondent Don McNeil is an excellent medical reporter. He always asks intelligent questions at the CDC pressers and he writes good articles. And he's written one for The Times yesterday that I agree with, although his support for it seems to me less than objective. In essence he asked the country's flu establishment how well the US handled swine flu. None of his sources are CDC employees but all of them are deeply involved in flu and flu policy in one way or another. And they gave themselves a big pat on the back. I hope they didn't wrench their shoulders. That might be a bit snarky, because in fact I agree with everything they say. I just find it amusing they are being used as authorities:
The decision to order vaccine made with a 50-year-old egg technology, rather than experimental methods, was controversial.
The outbreak highlighted many national weaknesses: old, slow vaccine technology; too much reliance on foreign vaccine factories; some major hospitals pushed to their limits by a relatively mild epidemic.[...]
Source: Science Blogs

Risk Communication
Information Management and Communications in Emergencies and Disasters

This new manual helps improve how information and communications are handled: how to obtain good quality information, how to make sure it is available quickly and how to communicate the content to individuals and organizations that need it. [...]
Download the manual
Source: PAHO

Photo
Flickr
The US is in the midst of a vaccination campaign against H1N1, which is relatively mild but has proven unusually dangerous to children.
Source: Usable with attribution and link to: www.Futureatlas.com

Quote
"My impression is that most families of children with egg allergies are under the impression that they can't receive any influenza vaccine ... Many of these children can safely receive H1N1 or influenza vaccine, although it does need to be done in a very controlled manner."
SOURCE: The Star-Press | Muncie, IN

News Flash
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 81
30 December 2009 -- As of 27 December 2009, worldwide more than 208 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 12220 deaths. [...]
Source: WHO
Successes and challenges of 2009
WHO
The headline that dominated the year was easily the H1N1 pandemic. On 11 June, 2009, WHO declared the start of the first influenza pandemic since 1968. In this episode we listen to WHO's Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, discuss the successes and challenges of 2009.
Will Higher Global Temperatures Make It Easier for Viruses to Jump Species?
Science daily
An interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Idaho soon will begin investigating whether viruses that have adapted to higher temperatures -- similar to increases due to global warming -- can jump species more easily. Bacteria May Cause H1N1 Death Rate Increase (CME/CE)
MedPage Today Infectious Disease
A bacterial coinfection with the H1N1 pandemic flu may explain the unusually high case fatality seen in Argentina earlier this year, researchers said.
China releases A/H1N1 flu prevention guide for women at risk
Xinhua
China's Health Ministry on Wednesday issued a guide to help prevent pregnant women and women with young children from getting the A/H1N1 flu. ...
Most swine flu cases without severe symptoms: study
AFP
Infection rates for the pandemic H1N1 virus in France, where the study was done, may be far higher than previously thought if these so-called "asymptomatic" ...

Disclaimer: Newsletter ini hanya merupakan kumpulan dari artikel/liputan/tulisan yang diambil dari berbagai sumber mengenai situasi terkini pandemi influenza di seluruh dunia termasuk Indonesia. Namun demikian isi/ilustrasi/foto tidak mewakili kepentingan atau kebijakan KOMNAS FBPI secara langsung