Prevent Swine Flu

Archive for the ‘Swine Flu News’ Category

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced recently that in response to a request from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, it has issued an emergency use authorization or EUA for the investigational antiviral drug peramivir intravenous (IV) in certain adult and pediatric patients with confirmed or suspected 2009 H1N1 influenza infection who are admitted to a hospital. The CDC has developed an electronic request system that lets healthcare providers request peramivir for patients who have been admitted to their hospitals due to 2009 H1N1 influenza.

More explicitly, IV peramivir is authorized only for hospitalized adult and pediatric patients for whom therapy with an IV drug is clinically suitable, based on one or more of the following reasons.  The first is if the patient is not responding to either oral or inhaled antiviral therapy, or when drug delivery by a route other than an intravenous route like enteral which is absorbed by the intestines or inhaled is not expected to be dependable or feasible.  The other is for adults only, when the health care professional deems IV therapy is appropriate due to other circumstances and t he FDA has reviewed the available scientific data and has concluded that the criteria for authorizing the emergency use of IV peramivir have been met.

There are no FDA-approved intravenously administered antivirals for the treatment of influenza. Peramivir is the only intravenously administered influenza treatment currently authorized for use under EUA for 2009 H1N1 infections. The EUA authority allows the FDA, based on the evaluation of available data, to authorize the use of unapproved or un-cleared medical products or unapproved or un-cleared uses of approved or cleared medical products following a determination and declaration of emergency, provided certain criteria are met. The authorization will end when the declaration of emergency is terminated or the authorization is revoked by the agency.

It has been reported that by the end of July, up to 5.7 million Americans which is 140 times the reported number had H1N1 swine flu.  As many as 21,000 flu sufferers were hospitalized by July 23, according to CDC estimates. This suggests that the current number of H1N1 swine flu-related hospitalizations is a vast underestimate. The number is just under 22,000 from the end of August to the middle of October.

When reporting numbers of hospitalizations and deaths, CDC officials have always noted that the data is just a guide to the severity of the pandemic and not a precise tally.  We still don’t really know exactly how many millions of Americans have come down with H1N1 swine flu.  That question is still unanswered, but there’s been more than a fivefold increase in increasing flu-related hospitalizations and deaths since Aug. 30.

Swine Flu Prevention Powerpoint Slide Show

Produced by www.puracleenrx.com . The Swine Flu Pandemic is becoming a major problem all over the world. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) is already showing 77 countries affected with the influenza A (H1N1) virus as of November 5, 2009. Some good and bad information has been published about the H1N1 influenza virus including tips on prevention and controlling H1N1 outbreaks once they occur. We have decided to do some research on these facts and myths about the H1N1 Swine Flu Virus. We want to provide you with the best and most factual information available to keep you and your family as safe and healthy as possible.

Swine Flu Facts-V2

H1N1 Vaccine – Jury is still out

Teens and young adults continue to account for the majority of cases of H1N1 around the world, with numbers of hospitalized cases highest in very young children. One% to ten% of patients with clinical illnesses will require hospitalization. Of those hospitalized patients anywhere from 10% to 25% will need to be admitted to an intensive care unit. Of those cases, 2% to 9% end up being fatal.  This information is according to the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization, which advises the World Health Organization (WHO) on policies and strategies for vaccines and immunization.

A recent session of the SAGE October 27^th – 29^th meeting was dedicated to the discussion of pandemic influenza vaccines. The experts at SAGE reviewed the current epidemiological situation of the pandemic worldwide and considered issues and options from a public health perspective. Overall, from 7% to 10% of all hospitalized patients are pregnant women in their second or third trimester of pregnancy. Pregnant women are ten times more likely to need care in an intensive care unit when compared with the general population.  Based on data and the substantially elevated risk for a severe outcome in pregnant women infected with the pandemic virus, The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) recommended that any licensed vaccine can be used in pregnant women, provided no specific opposition has been identified by the regulatory authority.

The SAGE experts also advised WHO on the number of doses of vaccine needed to provide protection across all different age groups, the joint dispensing of seasonal and pandemic vaccines, and vaccines for use in pregnant women. Recommendations on the formulation of seasonal influenza vaccines for the southern hemisphere in 2010 were also provided.  Other agenda items discussed included the status of vaccine availability, results from clinical trials on vaccine immunogenicity, and early results from safety monitoring in countries where dispensation of the H1N1 pandemic vaccine is currently under way.

Early results of the monitoring of people who have received pandemic vaccines were reviewed by the experts from SAGE and there were no indications of unusual adverse reactions found. Some adverse events following vaccination have been noticed, but these are well within the range of those seen with seasonal vaccines. All of which are believed to have an excellent safety profile.  Although early results are encouraging, they suggested monitoring for adverse events should be continued. The group also suggested that data on immunogenicity in children older than 6 months and younger than 10 years are limited and more studies are needed. National authorities have made children a priority for early vaccination. The SAGE recommendation is that precedence be given to the allocation of one dose of vaccine to as many children as possible.

Recent government information is focused on informing the consumer that the most effective method to prevent the spread of H1N1 Influenza (known by most as swine flu) is through the use of their hurried rushed to market vaccine.

While this may be true in the grand scheme of things it does very little to reassure the millions of people who have a hard time trusting vaccinations — and for some an even harder time trusting their government. Beyond the deep concerns we decided to examine the language of the recent news and guidance from the CDC and other authority sources on swine flu.

We found the usage of the phrase ‘most effective method to prevent the spread of H1N1 Influenza’ to be a bit concerning because this seems to suggest the governments primary concern is the prevention of the spread of swine flu. You can read that to mean their main intent it is calm the population and stem fears of a wider spread of this pandemic.

So what about the rest of us? What do we use as a yardstick to determine how effective a solution is — beyond just getting vaccinated? You still have to protect yourself, wash your hands frequently and clean your environment. Right?

Well with the recent news of a registered nurse dying of flu like symptoms we now begin to wonder if the message is also focused on reducng the level of alarm in the healthcare professional community. That begs the question:

What do healthcare workers do to prevent swine flu, or rather, What do healthcare workers do to prevent H1N1?

Considering their fate rest daily in their methods of staying clean and virus free we decided to try and locate the products they use to stay safe on the job and to make sure they do not take deadly illnesses home with them.

Fact #1: Clean Your Environment

Depending on how cold it is (ambient room temperature) a virus deposited on a hard surface by a sneeze or contact transmission can remain alive and viable from 2 hours to up to 48 hours. This can make the healthcare environment a hazardous place to sped your day.  So what do healthcare environmental services use to clean hard surfaces? And can the average consumer get their hands on this product?

The answer is yes.

Although not under the same tradename as the formula sold to hospitals, there is a highly concentrated virucide – bacteriacide – and fungicide that is available to consumers. We tracked down one of these products and are advertising it through our website. We choose not to mention it directly in this article because we do not wish to unfairly favor one product over another. Also there may be other products that are proven effective against h1n1 virus on hard surfaces, but we have independantly confirmed this product is safe, affordable and proven effective against h1n1 swine flu on hard surfaces.Also note that 1 gallon of this concentrate make 64 gallons of virucide – more than enough to clean the average home though the winter season.

Visit our website at http://prevent-swine-flu.com for more information and to learn about healthcare products to prevent swine flu.

prevent the spread of swine flu by sanitizing your environment

Pneumonia and Influenza Hospitalization and Death Tracking system was implemented on August 30, 2009, and replaces the weekly report of laboratory confirmed 2009 H1N1-related hospitalizations and deaths that began in April 2009. Jurisdictions can now report to CDC either laboratory confirmed or pneumonia and influenza based counts of hospitalizations and deaths resulting from all types or subtypes of influenza, not just those from 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. To allow jurisdictions to implement the new case definition, counts were reset to zero on August 30, 2009. From August 30 – October 10, 2009, 4,958 laboratory-confirmed influenza associated hospitalizations, 292 laboratory-confirmed influenza associated deaths, 15,696 pneumonia and influenza syndrome-based hospitalizations, and 2,029 pneumonia and influenza syndrome-based deaths, were reported to CDC. CDC will continue to use its traditional surveillance systems to track the progress of the 2009-10 influenza season.

A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza A virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population. As we have seen the virus causes serious illness and spreads easily from person-to-person worldwide. On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that a global pandemic of H1N1 flu is in progress. Nearly 5,000 people have died from swine flu infections since the A(H1N1) virus made its debut in April, the World Health Organization said on Friday. The death toll marked an increase of about 265 over the 4,735 deaths reported to the WHO a week ago.  The majority of the fatal cases which number 3,539 have been recorded in North and South America, the UN health agency said in its latest update on the escalating flu pandemic.

Overseas countries like Iceland, Sudan, and Trinidad and Tobago reported their first fatal cases over the past week.  Mongolia, Rwanda, and Sao Tome and Principe also recorded pandemic influenza cases for the first time, as the virus continued to spread.  Perhaps some good news is the  A(H1N1) influenza was declining in tropical areas of the world.  That is with the exception of Cuba and Colombia.  There was also no significant pandemic related activity over the past week in warmer areas of the southern hemisphere, the WHO said.  At this time respiratory disease activity persists in spreading and growing in intensity in the northern hemisphere, predominately in North America.  Extensive efforts are ongoing to track and monitor the spread of all flu viruses. In the U.S., epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are working diligently with the states affected to collect, compile and analyze reports of flu outbreaks.  As of September 2009, the current calculations are that about 90,000 deaths will take place in the U.S. from novel H1N1 swine flu. This is the estimate set out by the president’s advisory committee. There has been no revision of these numbers by the advisory committee or the CDC as of October 2009.

The CDC is recommending all healthcare providers receive both the seasonal influenza vaccine every year and the 2009 H1N1 vaccine. Healthy persons including healthcare providers, who are infected with influenza virus, can transmit the virus to persons at higher risk for complications from influenza, like patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease.

Early treatment with oseltamivir or zanamivir should be contemplated for persons with flu-like symptoms, suspected or confirmed, who have an elevated risk for complications including patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease. Patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease within any of the following prioritized groups are recommended to receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine:

• Pregnant women
• People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
• Persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old
• Persons between the ages of 25 and 64 years old who are at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems (including with inflammatory rheumatic disease)

Persons age 65 or older are not included in these specific groups because recent research indicates that the chance of infection among persons age 65 or older is less than the chance for younger age groups. While not expecting a shortage of 2009 H1N1 vaccine, the CDC states that availability and demand can be unpredictable. Once the need for the vaccine among the younger groups has been taken care of, the vaccine should be offered to people age 65 or older, including people with inflammatory arthritis.  Persons with inflammatory rheumatic disease who develop flu-like symptoms need to know the following:

• If you develop flu-like symptoms contact your healthcare provider.
• Avoid contact with others. Seek medical care early. You should stay home and avoid travel, including not going to work or school, until at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or necessities. Your fever should be gone without using fever-reducing medications.
• If you leave the house to seek medical care, wear a facemask, if available and tolerable, and cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue.
• Do not stop taking any medicine you take for your arthritis unless told to do so by your physician.
• Seek medical attention early. Treatment is available for persons with severe disease and those at high risk for complications. Persons with inflammatory rheumatic disease are considered high risk for complications from the flu; therefore, your health care provider may choose to prescribe antiviral medications for you if you get the flu.
• If you are exposed to someone who has flu, consult your health care provider.  They may prescribe medication to help prevent you from getting the flu or watch you closely to see if you develop flu symptoms.

Hot List: What You Can Do to Stay Healthy

According to the latest information the government recommendations to
avoid contracting swine flu include these simple steps. Of course this
is not an all inclusive list and some items on the list are impossible
to do — like getting a vaccination right now but here is the best
list we have:

Get vaccinated. Vaccination is the best protection we have against
flu. Seasonal flu vaccine is available now and initial doses of 2009
H1N1 flu vaccine also are available, with additional doses available
later this year.
Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through
coughing or sneezing of infected people.
Take everyday actions to stay healthy.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not
available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread that way.
Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work
or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds
and other social distancing measures.
Find healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety.
Stay informed. This website will be updated regularly as information
becomes available.
Call 1-800-CDC-INFO for more information.

Flu activity in the U.S. is reported to now be widespread in 41 states. Across the nation visits to doctors for influenza-like-illness continued to be on the rise and are now about equal to or higher than what is seen at the height of most normal flu seasons. Flu-related hospitalizations and deaths are also continuing to mount and are above expectations for this time of year.

The CDC continues to remind health providers and the public of the need to continue hand and cough hygiene measures for the period of any influenza symptoms, even while taking antiviral medications in order to combat the spread of antiviral resistant virus strains. The influenza activity reported by both state and territorial epidemiologists shows geographic spread of both seasonal influenza and 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses.

Each week CDC evaluates information collected about influenza disease activity in the United States and issues findings of key flu indicators in a report called FluView. A review of the key indictors found that during the week of October 4-10, 2009 influenza activity continued to increase in the United States from the previous week. Below is a summary of the latest significant indicators:

· Visits to doctors for influenza-like illness (ILI) continued to increase in the United States, and overall, are higher than what is expected for this time of the year. ILI activity now is equal to or higher than what is seen at the peak of many regular flu seasons.

· Total influenza hospitalization rates for laboratory-confirmed flu are climbing and are higher than expected for this time of year.

· The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) based on the 122 Cities Report has increased and exceeds what is normally expected at this time of year. In addition, 11 flu-related pediatric deaths were reported this week; 10 of these deaths were confirmed 2009 H1N1, and one was influenza A virus, but unsubtyped. Since April 2009, there have been 86 confirmed pediatric 2009 H1N1 deaths; 39 of these have been reported to CDC since August 30, 2009.

· Forty-one states are reporting widespread influenza activity at this time. They are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. This many reports of widespread activity are unprecedented during seasonal flu.

· Almost all of the influenza viruses identified so far is 2009 H1N1 influenza A viruses. These viruses remain similar to the virus chosen for the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, and remain susceptible to the antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir with rare exception.

The ongoing outbreak of novel influenza A (H1N1) continues to expand in the United States and internationally. CDC expects that more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths from this outbreak will occur over the coming days and weeks.

CDC continues to take aggressive action to respond to an expanding outbreak caused by novel H1N1 flu.

CDC’s response goals are to:

1. Reduce transmission and illness severity, and
2. Provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency.

CDC is issuing updated interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation. This includes updated interim guidance for clinicians on how to identify and care for people who are sick with novel H1N1 flu now that more widespread illness has been detected in the United States. CDC recommends that testing and antiviral treatment be prioritized for those with severe respiratory illness and those at highest risk of complications from seasonal influenza. This includes children younger than 5 years old, pregnant women, people with chronic medical conditions and weakened immune systems, and people 65 years and older. In addition, CDC has provided information for the public on what to do if they develop flu-like symptoms.

CDC has completed deployment of 25 percent of the supplies in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to all states in the continental United States. These supplies and medicines will help states and U.S. territories respond to the outbreak. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against the novel H1N1 flu virus.

Response actions are aggressive, but they may vary across states and communities depending on local circumstances. Communities, businesses, places of worship, schools and individuals can all take action to slow the spread of this outbreak. People who are sick are urged to stay home from work or school and to avoid contact with others, except to seek medical care. This action can avoid spreading illness further.