Tag Archives: flu

H1N1 vaccine delays and shortages in the news 2

News accounts continue to circulate of long lines of anxious Americans waiting for H1N1 vaccinations. A Business Roundtable survey last month also cited the availability of the H1N1 vaccine as the top business concern. H1N1 influenza vaccines are being manufactured by five multi-national companies: Paris-based Sanofi Aventis SA (NYSE:SNY); London-based concerns Glaxo Smith Kline Plc […]

Video Digest: 60 Minutes report on H1N1, Youth still primary target, President declares national H1N1 emergency, Mom charged with stealing H1N1 vaccine Comments Off on Video Digest: 60 Minutes report on H1N1, Youth still primary target, President declares national H1N1 emergency, Mom charged with stealing H1N1 vaccine

H1N1 swine flu “A disease of the young” 1

According to CDC statistics released this week, forty-six states are reporting widespread influenza activity. Developing data trends also underscore how H1N1 impacts the yoing. Over the period Sep 1 to Oct 10, reports from 27 states revealed that 52 percent of persons hospitalized with H1N1 flu were under the age of 25. Only 7 percent […]

President declares H1N1 flu a national emergency Comments Off on President declares H1N1 flu a national emergency

The president declared H1N1 a national flu emergency. This action will allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to expedite waivers to hospitals and medical facilities, in turn providing them greater flexibility to implement emergency operations plans if confonted with surges in H1N1 patient loads. Washington Post: President Obama declares H1N1 flu a national […]

The H1N1 patient surge: Readiness of U.S. health system in focus Comments Off on The H1N1 patient surge: Readiness of U.S. health system in focus

According to CDC statistics for the week ending October 10, forty-one states are now reporting widespread influenza activity, and influenza-related deaths are above epidemic thresholds. This raises the question. Is the U.S. public health infrastructure prepared for a surge of critically-ill H1N1 patients ? The answer depends on whom is asked. A poll conducted by […]

Severe cases of H1N1 reviewed: young, pregnant women and disadvantaged populations at risk Comments Off on Severe cases of H1N1 reviewed: young, pregnant women and disadvantaged populations at risk

Reports are growing that H1N1 targets young populations. According to the latest CDC reporting, there have been 43 flu-related deaths in the U.S. among perons under age 18, since August 30. A CDC spokesperson called these “very sobering statistics” given that only about 40 or 50 children usually die during an entire flu season. A […]

Video Digest: Hospitals change visit policies, CDC update, H1N1 death in San Diego, Worst case economic impacts Comments Off on Video Digest: Hospitals change visit policies, CDC update, H1N1 death in San Diego, Worst case economic impacts

The H1N1 patient surge; experiences in four countries reviewed 1

A recent commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Association compares past clinical experience with H1N1 across four countries. Mexico, Canada, Australia and New Zealand involving intensive care units. Despite differences in normal care and mortality across the countries (which ranged from 14 to 41 percent), the studies signal what hospitals may confront in […]

H1N1 vaccine side effects in focus Comments Off on H1N1 vaccine side effects in focus

Recent findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine provide some insights into H1N1 vaccine side effects. In clinical trials involving 120 persons involving a single dose of H1N1, there were no deaths, no serious adverse events or other events that would have triggered the tests to end. The most common reactions reported by […]

Untangling H1N1 vaccine safety perceptions and rumors 2

News accounts have reported lingering public suspicion about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. Much of this coverage traces to a widely reported Associated Press poll conducted Oct. 1-5, that found 72 percent of those surveyed are worried about side effects. More than half say that those concerns wouldn’t stop them from getting the vaccine […]