Tag: Swine Flu
WHO eyes swine flu transmission rates, new vaccine
by admin on May.18, 2009, under Healthcare, News, Swine Flu
By ELIANE ENGELER and MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Writers Eliane Engeler And Mari Yamaguchi, Associated Press Writers – Sun May 17, 3:43 pm ET
GENEVA – Health experts are looking very closely at the spread of swine flu among people in Spain, Britain and Japan, a WHO official said Sunday as Japan reported a one-day explosion of over 70 new cases, mostly among teenagers.
The swine flu epidemic is already expected to dominate the World Health Organization’s annual meeting, a five-day event that begins Monday in Geneva and involves health officials from the agency’s 193 member states.
WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan will reveal experts’ recommendations on the production of a swine flu vaccine sometime at the meeting. Pharmaceutical companies are ready to begin production, but many decisions have to be made first — such as how much vaccine to make, how it should be distributed and who should get it.
Some experts say there’s no question that a swine flu vaccine must be produced but WHO needs to discuss the issue with its members.
As of Sunday, the swine flu virus — which WHO calls the A (H1N1) virus — has sickened at least 8,480 people in 40 countries, killing 75 of them, mostly in Mexico.
Go to link for full article http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090517/ap_on_he_me/med_swine_flu
