There has been a lot of discussion about the use of antiviral medications to reduce the impact and spread of influenza. A just released study in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) researches the use of Oseltamivir ring chemoprophylaxis, together with prompt identification and isolation of infected personnel. This study concludes that the ring therapy was effective in reducing the impact of outbreaks of 2009 H1N1 influenza in semiclosed settings. Although antiviral “ring chemoprophylaxis” [...]
H1N1 (Swine Flu): WHO Reiterates that Big Pharma Did Not Influence Flu Decisions
The head of the WHO said Tuesday that her decisions about swine flu were not influenced by advisers’ links to pharmaceutical companies, which were pointed out in a critical journal article this month. Three scientists out of 22 who worked on the guidelines were named as having received some money from pharmaceuticals. The scientists did not work at the drug companies, but were paid for things like speaking at meetings sponsored by them. The guidelines [...]
H1N1 (Swine Flu): Experts Say H1N1 Likely To Adopt A Regular Fall/Winter Pattern
Last week, Dr. Margaret Chan, head of the World Health Organization, announced that the virus is still considered pandemic, meaning widespread, although case numbers have ebbed considerably. In the United States, the CDC reported that, as of May 22, just 1 percent of outpatient visits involved flu. However, this new H1N1 flu, long ago pushed aside prior seasonal flu viruses to become the dominant strain. And experts believe it will settle into the regular fall/winter [...]
H1N1 (Swine Flu): Pandemic Vaccines and Legal Concerns
The recent NEJM has an excellent article on the trials and tribulations of vaccines and vaccination law and how those both feature prominently in pandemic preparedness plans. Our recent H1N1 pandemic provides a good opportunity to assess the complex and perhaps bizarre effects of vaccine laws during a pandemic. The vaccine market is fragile, prone to shortages of both supply and demand. There are many reasons for these shortages: · High costs and low profits [...]
