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Geneva (AFP) Feb 19, 2010 The global death toll from swine flu approached the 16,000 mark as the pandemic waned in much of Europe and Asia, the World Health Organisation said Friday. "As of 14 February 2010, worldwide more than 212 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 15,921 deaths," the WHO said in its latest update. The toll recorded since the A(H1N1) pandemic virus was first uncovered in Mexico and the United States last April grew by 629 compared to the previous week. Several countries in West Africa reported increases in cases after swine flu was recently detected there, but the WHO concluded there was insufficient evidence so far that swine flu was spreading widely in local communities. "In the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere, overall pandemic influenza activity continued to decline in most countries," despite pockets of activity, the WHO said.
European regulator recommends fifth swine flu vaccine "The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has recommended the granting of a conditional marketing authorisation for Humenza from Sanofi Pasteur," the EMEA said in a brief statement. "This is the fifth pandemic vaccine recommended for use by the committee, and the second to be assessed using an emergency procedure which fast-tracks the evaluation of new vaccines developed during a pandemic influenza." The other four swine flu vaccines are Arepanrix and Pandemrix, both produced by British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline, Focetria from Swiss peer Novartis, and Celvapan which is made by US firm Baxter. Celvapan, Focetria and Pandemrix have all won approval for use from the European Commission. However, Arepanrix has not yet been cleared for European usage. The World Health Organisation's emergency panel of swine flu experts will meet later this month to formally determine whether the pandemic has passed its peak. The A(H1N1) flu pandemic was generally tailing off in most parts of the world and appeared to be entering a transitional period, according to the UN health agency.
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Swine flu should be included in north's seasonal vaccine: WHOGeneva (AFP) Feb 18, 2010 The World Health Organisation said Thursday that the swine flu pandemic virus would spread again next winter in the northern hemisphere and recommended its inclusion in the regular influenza vaccine. Protection against two other seasonal strains should be incorporated along with the A(H1N1) pandemic strain that swept across the world in 2009, the UN health agency said after a biannual meetin ... read more |
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