32 replies to this topic

[CrazyExpat]

Early results from the first trial of a pandemic flu vaccine suggest that just one dose is likely to provide "robust" protection from the new H1N1 strain, also dubbed swine flu, researchers said Thursday.
The study, sponsored by Australia-based CSL Limited, showed that nearly 97% of volunteers given a standard dose of the vaccine produced antibody levels that typically protect against flu infection, giving planners the welcome news that they may need less vaccine to save more lives.

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"If those data hold up, it would be a very good result," said William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, president-elect of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. "Frankly, I had anticipated it would take two doses" weeks apart.

The pandemic vaccine appears to be as safe as the vaccines made for seasonal flu. No one in the study died, but the study was not big enough and did not last long enough to identify possibly rare side effects, researchers reported online in The New England Journal of Medicine.

"Hopefully, now the regulators can make some decisions on what they want to do with their vaccination program down the road," CSL Biotherapies President Paul Perreault added. CSL has agreed to produce 36 million doses for the USA. The first deliveries are scheduled for mid-October.

Doctors are awaiting the results from additional studies sponsored by four other vaccine manufacturers and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The CSL study involved 240 healthy adults ages 18 to 64, divided into two groups. One group was given the standard 15-microgram dose used in seasonal vaccines, and the other received 30 micrograms.

Both single- and double-dose vaccinations appear to be equally protective. The immune response appeared to be consistently potent regardless of the patient's age.

Unlike seasonal flu, which disproportionately affects the very young and the very old, pandemic flu is striking people ages 5 to 24 more frequently.

Meanwhile, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Thomas Frieden and a number of infectious disease specialists urged people Thursday not to overlook seasonal flu, which kills at least 36,000 people a year and puts 200,000 more in the hospital.

http://www.usatoday....u-vaccine_N.htm

[smoker]

The thing is everything I've read said that this flu is up there with the common cold. The symptoms are much less than normal flues and go away much quicker. I'm not sure why everyone is having a panic about it.

[CrazyExpat]

smoker, on 11 September 2009 - 07:37 AM, said:

The thing is everything I've read said that this flu is up there with the common cold. The symptoms are much less than normal flues and go away much quicker. I'm not sure why everyone is having a panic about it.

I honestly am not sure either but have seen more medical masks being worn in public in the last several months than I have my entire life. Some people are certainly scared.

[smoker]

I really think t his is all paranoia designed to get ratings for news programs/newspapers and for the drug companies to sell vaccines that people don't really need.

[eleothegreat]

For some reason, some commercials from where we are say that we shouldn't be afraid of swine flu, and that what's important is to take the right preventive measures - proper hand washing, using of tissue paper when sneezing/coughing.

But I'm not really sure if I should "not be scared". IF It were up to me i'd hoard all the Tamiflu I can get my hands on. Especially now that there's a second wave coming.

[smoker]

But there have been many, many reports that the side effects of Tamiflu make you feel worse than actually having the Swine Flu.

I don't get why people care about this. It's like a bunch of news stories about the common cold.

[WannaGo]

This seems odd to me...seems like a virus would spread faster in the population centers.


Thailand's swine flu death toll reaches 130
Associated Press

Thailand's health authorities say the country's death toll from swine flu has reached 130 after 11 new fatalities.

The Public Health Ministry says more than 3 million people have been infected with the virus. A Wednesday statement says that figure includes those who have recovered or did not show any symptoms.

The ministry's Deputy Permanent Secretary Paijit Warachit says six of the 11 new fatalities were women and the rest men.

The disease's victims have increasingly been found in rural provinces. Initials cases were clustered in the capital Bangkok.

The Government Pharmaceutical Organization says it will start distributing a vaccine for the virus in December.

[smoker]

It's because the whole Swine Flu thing is a joke. If you tracked any other flu you'd have the same results. People in urban areas who can afford to drink juice and chill out will do better than people in huts - but the main message people should be getting is that this is much more mild than the normal flu so if you are not a weird village person it has almost no risk to you.

[eleothegreat]

I suppose. Of course, if you can't get your hands on the right medication (or even the right INFORMATION on how to take care of Swine Flu or any other kind of flu at that), then you're at risk. But if you're the juice-drinking-chill-out person who can afford anti-bacterial soaps, face masks and doctor's visits - then you don't have to worry.

[smoker]

Exactly.

[WannaGo]

Smoker: This is interesting. Supports what you were saying.


Swine flu death rate similar to seasonal flu: expert
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The death rate from the pandemic H1N1 swine flu is likely lower than earlier estimates, an expert in infectious diseases said on Wednesday.

New estimates suggest that the death rate compares to a moderate year of seasonal influenza, said Dr Marc Lipsitch of Harvard University.

"It's mildest in kids. That's one of the really good pieces of news in this pandemic," Lipsitch told a meeting of flu experts being held by the U.S. Institute of Medicine.

"Barring any changes in the virus, I think we can say we are in a category 1 pandemic. This has not become clear until fairly recently."

The Pandemic Severity Index set by the U.S. government has five categories of pandemic, with a category 1 being comparable to a seasonal flu epidemic.

Seasonal flu has a death rate of less than 0.1 percent -- but still manages to kill 250,000 to 500,000 people globally every year.

A category 5 pandemic would compare to the 1918 flu pandemic, which had an estimated death rate of 2 percent or more, and would kill tens of million of people.

Lipsitch took information from around the world on how many people had reported they had influenza-like illness, which may or may not actually be influenza; government reports of actual hospitalizations and confirmed deaths.

He came up with a range of mortality from swine flu, from 0.007 percent to 0.045 percent.

Either way, having new information about how many people were infected and did not become severely ill or die makes the pandemic look very mild, he said.

"The news is certainly better than it was in May and even better than it was at the beginning of August," Lipsitch said.

H1N1 swine flu was declared a pandemic in June after flashing around the world in six weeks. Experts all said a true death rate would not be clear for weeks because it is impossible to test every patient and because people with mild cases may never be diagnosed.

This lack of information made the epidemics in various countries and cities look worse at first than they actually were, Lipsitch said. People sick enough to be hospitalized are almost always tested first.

"Yes, there's been hype, but I don't think it's been an outrageous amount of hype," Lipsitch said.

Seasonal flu is usually far worse among the elderly, who make up 90 percent of the deaths every year. In contrast, this flu is attacking younger adults and older children, but they are not dying of it at the same rate as the elderly, Lipsitch said.

[smoker]

Yeah.

It's nice to see responsible journalism.

[Wino]

WannaGo, on 16 September 2009 - 07:14 PM, said:

Seasonal flu is usually far worse among the elderly, who make up 90 percent of the deaths every year. In contrast, this flu is attacking younger adults and older children, but they are not dying of it at the same rate as the elderly, Lipsitch said.

Because the swine flu was attacking and killing people in a younger age group than the elderly, I think this alarmed governments, health care professionals, and the media. Therefore all the hype. Similiar to the hype about swine flu in the 70's.

[smoker]

But now that it's obvious that the flu is really minor that should become the story, not all this fear mongering claptrap.

[Wino]

smoker, on 26 September 2009 - 01:05 PM, said:

But now that it's obvious that the flu is really minor that should become the story, not all this fear mongering claptrap.

What would the media do without all the fear mongering. Many the bird flu will come back in vogue?

[smoker]

I think that the swine flu and the avian flu should mate so that finally pigs can fly.

[eleothegreat]

smoker, on 27 September 2009 - 10:05 AM, said:

I think that the swine flu and the avian flu should mate so that finally pigs can fly.

then we'd start worrying about what to do if the flying pig shits while flying. i've been shat on the head by a bird once. imagine if it were a flying pig. haha

[lvdkeyes]

OMG, Pig shit is the worst smelling.

[smoker]

Pigs seem to like it.

[Wino]

smoker, on 14 September 2009 - 08:22 PM, said:

It's because the whole Swine Flu thing is a joke.

Just heard a news story about a 14 year old girl in Fort Worth, Texas. Came down with the flu on Wednesday, her mother took her to the doctor on Friday, and then the emergency room on Sunday. The swine flu thing is not a joke to her. She died on Sunday.