New Brunswick's natural medicine industry is seeing a boost in popularity as people look for alternative ways to ward off the swine flu virus.
With more H1N1 vaccine clinics being cancelled and those clinics that are running facing queues that stretch for hours, people like Pam Temple are offering natural ways to stay healthy.
Temple, the owner of Healthy Start in Rothesay, said she has a steady stream of new customers coming through her doors. Almost all of those customers are looking for alternative ways to fight the swine flu.
"We have parents that are looking for immune boosters for their children that are under two years old up to senior citizens," Temple said.
"Everyone is concerned about getting their immunity built up."
Naturopath fielding more calls
Blossom Bitting, a naturopath in Dieppe, said she is swamped with calls about H1N1.
However, Bitting said she doesn't have all the answers people want to hear about natural ways to prevent the contraction of the H1N1 virus.
"Because the H1N1 virus is so new, we don't know of anything in the natural realm that is specific against it," Bitting said.
Bitting said there are many supplements that can help fight influenza generally, such as ginger tea, garlic, multivitamins and extra vitamin C.
Bitting said alternative medicines are best used in combination with conventional medicine to stay healthy this flu season.
"I think the combination is going to be stronger than one on its own," she said.
Showing posts with label Swine Flu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swine Flu. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
UAE firm gets nod for swine flu medicine production
Abu Dhabi-based drug manufacturer Neopharma today said it has received clearance from the UAE Ministry of Health for the production of an antiviral medication Oseltamivir BR Flu.
The approval comes at a time when the entire region is stepping up efforts to tackle the swine flu pandemic, and it is being considered as a potential choice to prevent and treat the disease.
Neopharma, Vice-Chairman, Abdulla Humaid Al Mazroei and Managing Director and CEO, Dr BR Shetty thanked the Health Ministry on behalf of the Board of Directors of the company.
"As a leading manufacturer of life-saving drugs, we believe it is our responsibility to play a vital role in helping the community at this critical juncture. We are confident the approval for Oseltamivir will significantly facilitate medical professionals and the wider community to effectively combat the lethal H1N1 virus in the region," Dr Shetty said.
The approval comes at a time when the entire region is stepping up efforts to tackle the swine flu pandemic, and it is being considered as a potential choice to prevent and treat the disease.
Neopharma, Vice-Chairman, Abdulla Humaid Al Mazroei and Managing Director and CEO, Dr BR Shetty thanked the Health Ministry on behalf of the Board of Directors of the company.
"As a leading manufacturer of life-saving drugs, we believe it is our responsibility to play a vital role in helping the community at this critical juncture. We are confident the approval for Oseltamivir will significantly facilitate medical professionals and the wider community to effectively combat the lethal H1N1 virus in the region," Dr Shetty said.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Prepares for swine flu season
With an expected increase in the number of H1N1 virus cases as the school year kicks off, Texas Tech has ordered extra flu vaccines as well as updated a Web site designed to help students protect themselves against the flu.
According to a report released by the White House earlier this week, the H1N1 virus will kill between 30,000 and 90,000 Americans in 2009 with the season peaking mid-October.
In preparation, Dr. Kelly Bennett of the Family Medicine department said Tech has ordered 500 additional doses of the regular flu vaccine.
She said no Tech students were infected with H1N1 last year, but the university has been preparing for an outbreak projected to be more severe than last year.
According to Tech's flu Web site, students with the flu or flu-like symptoms are not to attend class or work for at least 24 hours after fever returns to normal and to consider vaccinations as they become available.
This follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention swine flu response guidelines for higher education released Aug. 20, which recommends students and faculty infected with H1N1 be isolated as much as possible.
"Texas Tech has been designated a point of dispensing, by the CDC," said Managing Director of Family Medicine Evelyn McPherson. "This should give students and faculty easy access to the vaccine."
The H1N1 vaccine, which must be taken as two separate doses, should be available to students in late September, Bennett said, and does not replace the regular flu vaccine.
"The CDC is setting up a provider registry of doctors and health departments to receive vaccines for H1N1," said Lubbock Public Health Preparedness Coordinator Sandy Fortenberry. "Of the 45 million expected vaccines, about 4 million will be allocated to Texas which will then go to registered providers."
In addition to getting the H1N1 vaccine, she said, students must take responsibility for their own health so they do not become infected.
"Students should do the same as they would with seasonal flu by practicing good hygiene, staying healthy and getting their seasonal flu shot," Fortenberry said.
The CDC also urges balance, and according to CDC H1N1 response guidelines, strategies employed by organizations should reduce the number of people who become ill or die from the flu while minimizing disruption.
"We are working to follow CDC guidelines which sometimes change from one day to the next depending on the severity of outbreak," McPherson said.
According to a report released by the White House earlier this week, the H1N1 virus will kill between 30,000 and 90,000 Americans in 2009 with the season peaking mid-October.
In preparation, Dr. Kelly Bennett of the Family Medicine department said Tech has ordered 500 additional doses of the regular flu vaccine.
She said no Tech students were infected with H1N1 last year, but the university has been preparing for an outbreak projected to be more severe than last year.
According to Tech's flu Web site, students with the flu or flu-like symptoms are not to attend class or work for at least 24 hours after fever returns to normal and to consider vaccinations as they become available.
This follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention swine flu response guidelines for higher education released Aug. 20, which recommends students and faculty infected with H1N1 be isolated as much as possible.
"Texas Tech has been designated a point of dispensing, by the CDC," said Managing Director of Family Medicine Evelyn McPherson. "This should give students and faculty easy access to the vaccine."
The H1N1 vaccine, which must be taken as two separate doses, should be available to students in late September, Bennett said, and does not replace the regular flu vaccine.
"The CDC is setting up a provider registry of doctors and health departments to receive vaccines for H1N1," said Lubbock Public Health Preparedness Coordinator Sandy Fortenberry. "Of the 45 million expected vaccines, about 4 million will be allocated to Texas which will then go to registered providers."
In addition to getting the H1N1 vaccine, she said, students must take responsibility for their own health so they do not become infected.
"Students should do the same as they would with seasonal flu by practicing good hygiene, staying healthy and getting their seasonal flu shot," Fortenberry said.
The CDC also urges balance, and according to CDC H1N1 response guidelines, strategies employed by organizations should reduce the number of people who become ill or die from the flu while minimizing disruption.
"We are working to follow CDC guidelines which sometimes change from one day to the next depending on the severity of outbreak," McPherson said.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Use traditional medicine to fight flu
The head of a Manitoba First Nations organization is calling on his fellow chiefs to look to traditional aboriginal medicine to help fight the next wave of swine flu, also called H1N1.
Acting grand chief Norman Bone of the Southern Chiefs' Organization said he wants to drive home the fact that First Nations have access to traditional remedies to improve their health and treat the flu on their own, rather than waiting for funding announcements.
"It's more taking a step, doing what we can for ourselves," he said, adding that SCO would also welcome federal or provincial funding for traditional treatment, if an arrangement could be made.
Bone declined to say what types of roots, herbs or other remedies would be used to treat or prevent H1N1, based on the advice of elders. He said he's not suggesting people avoid vaccines in favour of traditional medicine.
"What I'm also promoting is the use of both methods," he said.
Residents of the northern Manitoba First Nations communities of St. Theresa Point and Garden Hill were the worst affected by the H1N1 flu so far, with hundreds of patients sick and dozens flown to Winnipeg for treatment.
Aboriginals make up less than four per cent of Canada's population but have accounted for 11.1 per cent of the total number of reported H1N1 cases, 15.6 per cent of the hospitalized cases, 15 per cent of the patients admitted to intensive care with it, and 12.3 per cent of the deaths.
In Manitoba more than one in four of the 886 individuals diagnosed with H1N1 are First Nations.
SCO health director Shirli Ewanchuk said the organization has been working with communities on pandemic planning since 2007, and is working to ensure there's a stockpile of traditional medicine for communities, including urban First Nations people.
Bone said he was pleased by last week's announcement that the province would spend $1.5 million to provide 15,000 medical kits including masks, tissue, hand sanitizer, rubber gloves and other supplies to First Nations.
Ewanchuk said with the kits paid for, the SCO can focus on making sure health centres in southern First Nations have the proper protective equipment and training, and lining up training for chiefs to deal with a flu pandemic, among other priorities.
Acting grand chief Norman Bone of the Southern Chiefs' Organization said he wants to drive home the fact that First Nations have access to traditional remedies to improve their health and treat the flu on their own, rather than waiting for funding announcements.
"It's more taking a step, doing what we can for ourselves," he said, adding that SCO would also welcome federal or provincial funding for traditional treatment, if an arrangement could be made.
Bone declined to say what types of roots, herbs or other remedies would be used to treat or prevent H1N1, based on the advice of elders. He said he's not suggesting people avoid vaccines in favour of traditional medicine.
"What I'm also promoting is the use of both methods," he said.
Residents of the northern Manitoba First Nations communities of St. Theresa Point and Garden Hill were the worst affected by the H1N1 flu so far, with hundreds of patients sick and dozens flown to Winnipeg for treatment.
Aboriginals make up less than four per cent of Canada's population but have accounted for 11.1 per cent of the total number of reported H1N1 cases, 15.6 per cent of the hospitalized cases, 15 per cent of the patients admitted to intensive care with it, and 12.3 per cent of the deaths.
In Manitoba more than one in four of the 886 individuals diagnosed with H1N1 are First Nations.
SCO health director Shirli Ewanchuk said the organization has been working with communities on pandemic planning since 2007, and is working to ensure there's a stockpile of traditional medicine for communities, including urban First Nations people.
Bone said he was pleased by last week's announcement that the province would spend $1.5 million to provide 15,000 medical kits including masks, tissue, hand sanitizer, rubber gloves and other supplies to First Nations.
Ewanchuk said with the kits paid for, the SCO can focus on making sure health centres in southern First Nations have the proper protective equipment and training, and lining up training for chiefs to deal with a flu pandemic, among other priorities.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
US warns businesses to brace for H1N1
The federal government is urging employers to offer flexible sick leave policies as the nation braces for a second wave of the H1N1 influenza pandemic.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano offered guidance to businesses on how to prevent the spread of H1N1, also known as swine flu, and to prepare for a major outbreak. They stressed allowing employees who exhibit flu symptoms to go home and to stay home until at least 24 hours have passed since their fevers subsided. They also said businesses should consider eliminating policies that require a doctor’s note or other proof to justify a sick day and that employers should be prepared to operate with fewer people.
“It’s more than just a significant health issue. It has the potential to affect every aspect of our lives,’’ Locke said. “It will take Americans from every walk of life pulling together and doing our part to mount an effective response.’’
As the first pandemic in more than 40 years, it has the potential to cause massive disruptions for businesses, schools, and governments. The United States and other northern nations have been scrambling to prepare for a resurgence of the virus by stockpiling flu treatments and vaccines.
US officials said yesterday that data from tests on adults show it is safe to start trying out the new vaccine in children. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said it would soon start two trials of a Sanofi-Aventis vaccine in children ages 6 months to 17 years. US health officials said 45 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine will be on hand in mid-October, when mass vaccinations are to begin.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Brazil bans flu medicine ads
Brazil on Friday imposed a temporary ban on all flu medicine advertisements in an effort to reduce self-medication that may disguise A/H1N1 symptoms.
The ban applies to advertisements for aspirin-based medicine and over-the-counter remedies for flu symptoms on all mass media, including the Internet, said the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa).
The measure aims at reducing the self-medication, which may cause errors in the diagnosis of the A/H1N1 flu, leading to more severe cases of the disease, the Anvisa said.
The Brazilian health ministry said that 77 percent of flu cases in the country were A/H1N1 and the number was rising sharply.
Brazil has registered 277 deaths from the disease, the third largest number of A/H1N1 deaths after the United States and Argentina.
Brazil are taking other measures to contain the spread of the A/H1N1virus, such as postponing poliomyelitis immunizations scheduled for Aug. 22 to avoid crowding in hospitals that could lead to more infections.
Classes remain suspended in many schools and universities in the country. Students will have to miss nearly a month of school before most schools resume classes in late August or early September.
Latest data released by the health ministry this week said that there are 3,642 confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu in Brazil.
However, the ministry noted that the number may grow bigger, as more tests for the disease are underway.
The ban applies to advertisements for aspirin-based medicine and over-the-counter remedies for flu symptoms on all mass media, including the Internet, said the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa).
The measure aims at reducing the self-medication, which may cause errors in the diagnosis of the A/H1N1 flu, leading to more severe cases of the disease, the Anvisa said.
The Brazilian health ministry said that 77 percent of flu cases in the country were A/H1N1 and the number was rising sharply.
Brazil has registered 277 deaths from the disease, the third largest number of A/H1N1 deaths after the United States and Argentina.
Brazil are taking other measures to contain the spread of the A/H1N1virus, such as postponing poliomyelitis immunizations scheduled for Aug. 22 to avoid crowding in hospitals that could lead to more infections.
Classes remain suspended in many schools and universities in the country. Students will have to miss nearly a month of school before most schools resume classes in late August or early September.
Latest data released by the health ministry this week said that there are 3,642 confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu in Brazil.
However, the ministry noted that the number may grow bigger, as more tests for the disease are underway.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Alternative medicines can cure swine flu
At a time when swine flu is taking lives across the globe with India being no exception to it, very few know that its sure shot treatment
is hidden in the country itself. The oldest mode of medicine -- Ayurveda has a cure for the much talked about swine flu. While there is panic among people when it comes to the tests and medication of the H1N1 virus, the Ayurveda and Homeopathy experts claim to know methods of prevention and cure of the disease.
In contrast to Allopathy medication being preferred by the apprehensive patients, there are few takers of the ayurveda and the homeopathy medicines even if it claims to provide hundred per cent treatment. Dr Bhagwan Singh, principal and superintendent of State Ayurvedic College, Lucknow, says, "The disease (swine flu) and its treatment is already mentioned in our old books of medicines by sages. On the basis of the symptoms of swine flu, it has been given the name `vatashlesmic' fever in the ayurvedic medicine books."
He further added, "Whenever there is a change in the environment due to spurt in growth of any kind of virus, human beings are the first one to be affected by it. For treating a patient infected with H1N1 virus, ayurvedic medicines like Sanjawini Vati and Tribhuvan Kriti Ras can be given. These medicines are prepared by mixing 12-14 ayurvedic ingredients selected on the basis of the symptoms of the viral disease."
However, it is not only Ayurveda that has a cure for the flu. Homeopathy also claims to have medication for H1N1 treatment. No matter that homeopathic treatment involves a slow process of curing any disease, its practitioners still consider it to be effective in treating swine flu. Dr B N Singh, director of Homeopathy, UP says, "Swine flu is an influenza like illness, where primary symptoms are very much similar to those of influenza. Thus one can take Influnzenium 200 as a preventive medicine. Three doses each after 10 minutes within 24 hours can develop an immunity against H1N1 virus."
"Moreover a combination of 6-7 homeopathic medicines should be given according to the symptoms of the patients. These include Aconite Nap 30, Belladona 30, Bryonia Alb, Mercuris Vibre, Gelsinium 30 and Eupaporium Purf. These medicines should be taken after consulting a homeopathic doctor as they are advised only after examining the patients and his/her symptoms," he added.
He also informed, "Along with the homeopathic medicines one can also take supplements of biochemic medicines like Ferrom Phos 3x and Kali Mure 3x, 2-4 tablets three times a day to prevent getting infected from H1N1 virus.
is hidden in the country itself. The oldest mode of medicine -- Ayurveda has a cure for the much talked about swine flu. While there is panic among people when it comes to the tests and medication of the H1N1 virus, the Ayurveda and Homeopathy experts claim to know methods of prevention and cure of the disease.
In contrast to Allopathy medication being preferred by the apprehensive patients, there are few takers of the ayurveda and the homeopathy medicines even if it claims to provide hundred per cent treatment. Dr Bhagwan Singh, principal and superintendent of State Ayurvedic College, Lucknow, says, "The disease (swine flu) and its treatment is already mentioned in our old books of medicines by sages. On the basis of the symptoms of swine flu, it has been given the name `vatashlesmic' fever in the ayurvedic medicine books."
He further added, "Whenever there is a change in the environment due to spurt in growth of any kind of virus, human beings are the first one to be affected by it. For treating a patient infected with H1N1 virus, ayurvedic medicines like Sanjawini Vati and Tribhuvan Kriti Ras can be given. These medicines are prepared by mixing 12-14 ayurvedic ingredients selected on the basis of the symptoms of the viral disease."
However, it is not only Ayurveda that has a cure for the flu. Homeopathy also claims to have medication for H1N1 treatment. No matter that homeopathic treatment involves a slow process of curing any disease, its practitioners still consider it to be effective in treating swine flu. Dr B N Singh, director of Homeopathy, UP says, "Swine flu is an influenza like illness, where primary symptoms are very much similar to those of influenza. Thus one can take Influnzenium 200 as a preventive medicine. Three doses each after 10 minutes within 24 hours can develop an immunity against H1N1 virus."
"Moreover a combination of 6-7 homeopathic medicines should be given according to the symptoms of the patients. These include Aconite Nap 30, Belladona 30, Bryonia Alb, Mercuris Vibre, Gelsinium 30 and Eupaporium Purf. These medicines should be taken after consulting a homeopathic doctor as they are advised only after examining the patients and his/her symptoms," he added.
He also informed, "Along with the homeopathic medicines one can also take supplements of biochemic medicines like Ferrom Phos 3x and Kali Mure 3x, 2-4 tablets three times a day to prevent getting infected from H1N1 virus.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Administration weighs flu vaccine options
The Obama administration is considering an unprecedented fall vaccination campaign that could entail giving Americans three flu shots – one to combat annual seasonal influenza and two targeted at the new swine flu virus spreading across the globe.
If enacted, the multibillion-dollar effort would represent the first time Americans have been asked to get more than one flu vaccine in a year, raising serious challenges concerning production, distribution and the ability to track potentially severe side effects.
Another option, said Dale Morse of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is adding an ingredient to target the new virus into the seasonal flu shot.
Experts inside and outside the administration are evaluating a raft of complicated issues, including who should receive an inoculation against the swine flu and whether private vaccine makers can simultaneously manufacture the standard 180 million doses as well as up to 600 million rounds of a new vaccine.
"We are moving forward with making a vaccine," said Robin Robinson, a director with the Department of Health and Human Services who oversees pandemic response programs. Nothing that a formal decision about the swine flu vaccine has not been made, Robinson said that the government would probably produce two doses per person if the decision is made to go ahead. If the threat diminishes, he said, health officials could decide to produce doses for only a portion of the population.
Vaccine and pandemic experts are working with the administration to determine how to produce, test, track and educate the public about two different influenza vaccines in the same flu season.
"They have never tried this before, and there is going to be a great deal of confusion," said William Schaffner, chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Memories of the nation's earlier experience with a swine flu vaccine present another challenge.
In 1976, hundreds of Americans developed neurological disorders after they were vaccinated for a swine flu strain. The public was asked to receive one of two vaccines developed to combat the strain.
Officials have asked manufacturers to speed production of the seasonal vaccine scheduled for this fall to make way for the possible mass production of a swine flu vaccine.
A decision on whether to produce such a vaccine will have to be made soon, because it typically takes five months to produce a new vaccine and authorities would want it available for the next flu season.
A record-keeping system would also be needed to track which doses patients have received, health experts said.
If enacted, the multibillion-dollar effort would represent the first time Americans have been asked to get more than one flu vaccine in a year, raising serious challenges concerning production, distribution and the ability to track potentially severe side effects.
Another option, said Dale Morse of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is adding an ingredient to target the new virus into the seasonal flu shot.
Experts inside and outside the administration are evaluating a raft of complicated issues, including who should receive an inoculation against the swine flu and whether private vaccine makers can simultaneously manufacture the standard 180 million doses as well as up to 600 million rounds of a new vaccine.
"We are moving forward with making a vaccine," said Robin Robinson, a director with the Department of Health and Human Services who oversees pandemic response programs. Nothing that a formal decision about the swine flu vaccine has not been made, Robinson said that the government would probably produce two doses per person if the decision is made to go ahead. If the threat diminishes, he said, health officials could decide to produce doses for only a portion of the population.
Vaccine and pandemic experts are working with the administration to determine how to produce, test, track and educate the public about two different influenza vaccines in the same flu season.
"They have never tried this before, and there is going to be a great deal of confusion," said William Schaffner, chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Memories of the nation's earlier experience with a swine flu vaccine present another challenge.
In 1976, hundreds of Americans developed neurological disorders after they were vaccinated for a swine flu strain. The public was asked to receive one of two vaccines developed to combat the strain.
Officials have asked manufacturers to speed production of the seasonal vaccine scheduled for this fall to make way for the possible mass production of a swine flu vaccine.
A decision on whether to produce such a vaccine will have to be made soon, because it typically takes five months to produce a new vaccine and authorities would want it available for the next flu season.
A record-keeping system would also be needed to track which doses patients have received, health experts said.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
U.S. Begins Human Testing of H1N1 Vaccines
Early next month, the U.S. will begin its first human trials of new vaccines against the H1N1 (swine flu) virus. In addition to evaluating safety and effectiveness, researchers are seeking to determine the proper dosage.
Dosage is a particular concern with H1N1 because the last major swine flu outbreak in the U.S. occurred in 1976 -- meaning an entire generation has grown up with no exposure to the disease.
"When a population has not seen a virus, the question becomes: If you give them a vaccine, is one dose enough?" said Sri Edupuganti, MD, an infectious disease physician with the Emory University School of Medicine.
Dr. Edupuganti serves on the staff of Emory's Hope Clinic, one of eight sites around the country selected to test H1N1 vaccines. She and other vaccination experts say it's likely Americans will require two separate shots to build up full immunity to the swine flu virus.
Because H1N1 differs from seasonal flu, medical experts say it's unlikely vaccines for each virus will offer any crossover protection. So, don't be surprised if you need three shots this fall.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Swine Flu / Europe: Race against the clock to have vaccines before winter
European governments say that they are accelerating the process of approval of Swine Flu vaccine, what has experts somewhat worried.
The European Agency of Medicine, the principal regulatory organ in the European Union,took the fast track for the approval of the vaccine. Countries such as Great Britain, Greece, France and Sweden said that they will begin to apply it as soon as it is approved, possibly in some weeks.
In Europe, generally, vaccines are tested in hundreds of persons for weeks or months, to make sure that the immune system should generate the sufficient amount of antibodies to attack the infection.
But the determination for achieving a vaccine as soon as possible, the agency is allowing companies to jump the tests with big individuals quantities.
Doctor Keiji Fukuda, chief of the flu department of the World Health Organization, warned about potential dangers that vaccines represent when they are not tested in the laboratory, although he did not criticized the European position.
European officials do not know if the vaccine is going to have unexpected side effects until million persons have been vaccinated. Nevertheless, they think that the risk is worth while for the lives that will be saved.
The main difficulty is that, probably, without large-scale tests, will be the difficulty in getting a suitable dose, this can cause Europeans to obtain a very weak version of the vaccine.
It is slightly probable that the vaccine is dangerous, but nobody will have this certainty until many people prove it.
Neither the manufacturers the European agency wanted to give details on the basic safety experiments they run.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
University of Maryland School of Medicine to study swine flu vaccine
The University of Maryland School of Medicine will lead a research study on an experimental vaccine to prevent swine flu.
The school’s Center for Vaccine Development will participate in a nationwide network of vaccine evaluation teams funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Starting in August, the clinical trial will enroll as many as 1,000 adults and children at 10 centers to evaluate the safety of the vaccine and measure its ability to stimulate immune responses to the H1N1 influenza virus. The virus has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization and has resulted in three deaths in Maryland.
The research is a first step toward the U.S. government’s goal of developing a vaccine before the flu season begins in the fall.
The University of Maryland’s partners on the effort include Baylor College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Emory University, Saint Louis University, Seattle Group Health Cooperative, the University of Iowa, and Vanderbilt University.
The school’s Center for Vaccine Development will participate in a nationwide network of vaccine evaluation teams funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Starting in August, the clinical trial will enroll as many as 1,000 adults and children at 10 centers to evaluate the safety of the vaccine and measure its ability to stimulate immune responses to the H1N1 influenza virus. The virus has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization and has resulted in three deaths in Maryland.
The research is a first step toward the U.S. government’s goal of developing a vaccine before the flu season begins in the fall.
The University of Maryland’s partners on the effort include Baylor College of Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Emory University, Saint Louis University, Seattle Group Health Cooperative, the University of Iowa, and Vanderbilt University.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Patients to Pay for Swine Flu Medicine
Finland intends to remove the H1N1 swine flu virus from the list of common dangerous infectious diseases this month. Patients not belonging to risk groups will also have to pay for medicines.
Health officials say the disease has proven to be less serious than anticipated and will be classified in the same way as other seasonal influenza viruses.
Those contracting the virus will be treated by the country's basic healthcare system and antiviral medicine will be prescribed only if necessary. The move follows a situation report issued on Thursday by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
A government decision to remove H1N1 from the list of dangerous diseases is expected later this month.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Swine flu medicine available via GPs
AN ANTI-VIRAL medicine used to treat the symptoms of swine flu should be available in pharmacies around the country from today – but only on prescription.
Dr Pat Doorley, the national director of population health with the Health Service Executive (HSE), said Tamiflu had been delivered to community pharmacies and GPs in recent days. Dr Doorley confirmed at a briefing on the virus in Government Buildings last evening that Tamiflu would only be available with a prescription.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said yesterday the pandemic was the fastest-moving ever and that it was now pointless to count every case. It revised its requirements so that national health authorities need only report clusters of severe cases or deaths caused by the virus.
The WHO said past pandemics had needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new virus had in six weeks.
Earlier this week, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan predicted swine flu could infect one million people in the State as it spreads later in the year. Dr Holohan said 146 cases of swine flu had been confirmed here as of yesterday.
He said the vast majority of people who contracted swine flu would recover from the virus without taking Tamiflu and stocks of the anti-viral would be reserved for treating severe infections.
Dr Doorley said the HSE had access to anti-virals to treat more than half the population and he was confident this was enough to treat a more serious scenario than that currently facing the HSE.
“We do not want over-use. We do not want resistance developing to these drugs. We are not concerned that we do not have enough Tamiflu. We should have enough and we can order more.”
The strategy of the Department of Health and the HSE officially changed yesterday because they believe preventing the virus’s spread is no longer an option.
Dr Pat Doorley, the national director of population health with the Health Service Executive (HSE), said Tamiflu had been delivered to community pharmacies and GPs in recent days. Dr Doorley confirmed at a briefing on the virus in Government Buildings last evening that Tamiflu would only be available with a prescription.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said yesterday the pandemic was the fastest-moving ever and that it was now pointless to count every case. It revised its requirements so that national health authorities need only report clusters of severe cases or deaths caused by the virus.
The WHO said past pandemics had needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new virus had in six weeks.
Earlier this week, chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan predicted swine flu could infect one million people in the State as it spreads later in the year. Dr Holohan said 146 cases of swine flu had been confirmed here as of yesterday.
He said the vast majority of people who contracted swine flu would recover from the virus without taking Tamiflu and stocks of the anti-viral would be reserved for treating severe infections.
Dr Doorley said the HSE had access to anti-virals to treat more than half the population and he was confident this was enough to treat a more serious scenario than that currently facing the HSE.
“We do not want over-use. We do not want resistance developing to these drugs. We are not concerned that we do not have enough Tamiflu. We should have enough and we can order more.”
The strategy of the Department of Health and the HSE officially changed yesterday because they believe preventing the virus’s spread is no longer an option.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
China: Traditional medicine for swine flu
Beijing's municipal health department says some influenza A H1N1 patients have been treated using traditional Chinese medicine.
The Beijing Health Bureau said as of Thursday, eight of 17 flu patients handpicked to receive the treatment using 5,000-year-old traditional Chinese medicine were fully recovered, China Daily reported.
The non-Tamiflu medication has shown great promise for the remaining nine recovering patients, officials of the Beijing Health Bureau said.
The Ministry of Health said nearly 90 percent of the influenza A H1N1 patients in China have been treated with a combination of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine.
There were 1,518 laboratory-confirmed cases H1N1, also called swine flu, and no deaths reported to the World Health Organization by Chinese officials, statistics posted on the WHO Web site indicated.
The Beijing Health Bureau said as of Thursday, eight of 17 flu patients handpicked to receive the treatment using 5,000-year-old traditional Chinese medicine were fully recovered, China Daily reported.
The non-Tamiflu medication has shown great promise for the remaining nine recovering patients, officials of the Beijing Health Bureau said.
The Ministry of Health said nearly 90 percent of the influenza A H1N1 patients in China have been treated with a combination of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine.
There were 1,518 laboratory-confirmed cases H1N1, also called swine flu, and no deaths reported to the World Health Organization by Chinese officials, statistics posted on the WHO Web site indicated.
Was Swine Flu Outbreak Caused by Lab Leak?
The current H1N1 influenza A (i.e., “swine flu”) outbreak around the world was likely an after-effect of a government laboratory leaking a virus in 1977, according to a news story published in the June 30 London Independent:
Scientists investigating the genetic make-up of flu viruses have concluded there is a high probability that the H1N1 strain of influenza "A" behind the current pandemic might never have been re-introduced into the human population were it not for an accidental leak from a laboratory working on the same strain in 1977.
The current H1N1 strain is genetically related to the virus released in 1977, according to scientists. "I would imagine that most labs researching into influenza would have had the 1950s strain. We cannot actually pinpoint which lab had it or accidentally released it, but the re-emergence of H1N1 in 1977 made it potentially a man-made pandemic," Dr. Shanta Zimmer of the University of Pittsburgh told the London Independent.
The London Independent was reporting about a recent investigation by the New England Journal of Medicine. The New England Journal of Medicine report also noted that the 1976 outbreak of swine flu came as a result of a release of flu virus at Fort Dix, New Jersey that had “230 cases and one death.” That “swine flu epidemic” created an overabundance of immunization against a virus that was eventually not found to be highly contagious.
The result of the 1976 leak was likely more injuries and deaths had the government not undergone the massive immunization program. “The emergence of swine influenza at Fort Dix led to the implementation of a mass vaccination program, which resulted in 40 million civilian vaccinations and 532 cases of the Guillain–Barré syndrome (a rare side effect of influenza vaccination), including 32 deaths,” the New England Journal of Medicine explained.
Government has apparently done more to worsen the flu season than to mitigate the suffering in recent years.
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