H1N1 seen lying low, then rising again in Europe

2010-03-08T11:17:26Z

<div><p>LONDON (Reuters) - Europe is unlikely to see another wave of pandemic H1N1 flu soon but local epidemics are likely as winter returns to the Northern hemisphere, health officials said on Monday.</p><p>The European Center for Diseas...

Mexico's spring break king rebounds

2010-03-07T21:30:05Z

<div id="subtitle">Cancun, Mexico's spring break king, recovers from swine flu, drug violence's blow to tourism</div><div><p>Mexico's spring break king — Cancun — is rebounding quickly from last year's triple blow to its tourism industry caused by the country's swine flu epidemic, drug violence and a global economic crisis.</p><p>Those worries couldn't compete this year aga...

Dutch government wants to sell flu vaccines back

2010-03-06T11:15:11Z

<div><p>AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Dutch government wants to sell 21 million unused H1N1 flu vaccine doses back to their manufacturers after they proved unnecessary and no other country wanted to buy them, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.</p><p>A spokeswoman for the ministry said it had approached manufacturers Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova told Mexican journalists that the case was the first confirmed mutation of the swine flu virus, though there were 423 other suspected cases.</p><p>He said the girl was treated two months ago at a hospital in

Malaysia confirms 1st swine flu death this year

2010-03-01T22:15:08Z

<div><p>Malaysia's government has confirmed the country's first death linked to swine flu in nearly half-a-year.</p><p>Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai says the 22-year-old woman died of respiratory problems at a hospital Sunday after testing positive for the H1N1 virus.</p><p>The minister's statement Tuesday did not give details of how she had been infect...

S.Africa winter raises World Cup swine flu risk

2010-02-26T10:17:12Z

<div><p>The World Cup kicks off at the height of South Africa's winter, bringing in hundreds of thousands of visitors during peak flu season and raising concerns aboout a resurgence of swine flu.</p><p>The H1N1 strain has killed nearly 16,000 people, proving less lethal than regular flu despite the global alarm.</p><p>But health minister

Everyone in U.S. should get flu vaccine: experts

2010-02-25T12:15:50Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Everyone in the United States over the age of six months should get seasonal influenza vaccines every year, federal vaccine advisers said on Wednesday.</p><p>The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice...

Panel recommends annual flu vaccinations for all

2010-02-25T05:00:40Z

<div id="subtitle">Influential federal panel recommends annual flu shots for virtually all Americans</div><div><p>A government panel is now recommending that virtually all Americans get a flu shot each year, starting this fall.</p><p>The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices had gradually been expanding its recommendation for flu shots...

WHO says too early to declare swine flu peak over

2010-02-24T04:16:22Z

<div><p>It is too early to say that the swine flu pandemic has peaked in all parts of the world, the World Health Organisation's emergency committee said.</p><p>"The Committee advised that it was premature to conclude that all parts of the world have experienced peak transmission of the H1N1 pandemic influenza," a spokesman said Tuesday, adding more "time and information was needed."</p&g...

H1N1 pandemic at less severe end of spectrum: WHO

2010-02-24T02:30:26Z

<div><p>GENEVA (Reuters) - The current H1N1 swine flu pandemic is relatively less severe than some other influenza outbreaks, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.</p><p>"This pandemic appears to be on the less severe side of the spectrum of pandemics that we have seen in the 20th century," the Reuters) - The pandemic of H1N1 swine flu has not yet peaked, a committee of experts advised the World Health Organization on Tuesday.</p><p>"The committee advised that it was premature to conclude that all parts of the world have experienced peak transmission of the H1N1 pandemic influenza and that additio...

WHO: Swine flu still hasn't peaked

2010-02-23T15:00:34Z

<div id="subtitle">WHO Experts: Swine flu still hasn't peaked, southern hemisphere bracing for another wave</div><div><p>The World Health Organization says the swine flu pandemic still has not peaked.</p><p>The agency's emergency committee met Tuesday and suggested it was "premature" to recommend downgrading the global flu outbreak. Swine flu cases have dropped dramatically in re...

Virus experiment reminds that flu surprises await

2010-02-23T11:30:29Z

<div><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers who mixed together bird flu and ordinary flu viruses created three extremely virulent new strains, a reminder that influenza viruses can swap genes to create dangerous offspring.</p><p>Their experiment, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrate...

WHO scientists decide if flu pandemic has passed peak

2010-02-23T11:16:30Z

<div><p>The World Health Organisation's emergency committee of scientists has met Tuesday to decide whether the swine flu pandemic has passed its peak, a spokesman from the health agency confirmed.</p><p>The step would mark the first formal recognition that the worst is over since the UN health agency declared a global pandemic in J...

Flu experts assess whether H1N1 pandemic peaked

2010-02-23T06:30:18Z

<div><p>GENEVA (Reuters) - Flu experts convened Tuesday to assess whether the H1N1 pandemic has peaked, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.</p><p>Such a recommendation -- which is widely expected -- would signal infections are falling in most countries but fresh waves can still occur and health authorities should remain ...

Swine flu 'should be included in new seasonal vaccine'

2010-02-22T08:49:17Z

<div><p>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.</p><p>Protection against two other seasonal strains should be incorporated along with the A(H1N1) pandemic strain that swept across the world in 2009, the...

Swine flu to be included in north's seasonal vaccine

2010-02-22T08:51:11Z

<div><p>The World Health Organisation said Thursday that the swine flu pandemic virus would threaten again next winter in the northern hemisphere and recommended its inclusion in the regular influenza vaccine.</p><p>Protection for two other seasonal strains should be incorporated along with the A(H1N1) pandemic strain that swept across the world last year, the...

WHO: Add swine flu to regular flu vaccine

2010-02-22T08:53:26Z

<div><p>The World Health Organization is recommending that swine flu be added to regular flu vaccines next season.</p><p>The swine flu pandemic virus, or H1N1, emerged too late last year to be added to the regular flu vaccine, and a separate vaccine was needed.</p><p>For this year's northern hemisphere flu season, however, the two v...

Swine flu outbreak threatens at World Cup: minister

2010-02-22T09:23:25Z

<div><p>CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - South Africa faces a possible health crisis if a swine flu outbreak strikes during the soccer World Cup this year, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi

Swine flu outbreak threatens at World Cup

2010-02-22T09:24:50Z