Swine flu: when America sneezes
Swine flu: As the Mexican outbreak spreads rapidly at a time that could hardly be worse for the world economy, the US and now Europe and Asia are battling to limit the impact
Swine flu
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Evidence that a new strain of swine flu virus has spread widely between people in two different parts of the world has led the World Health Organisation to declare a global pandemic
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Under-5s next for flu vaccine
Young children will be the next group to be given priority in receiving the swine flu vaccine, says Sir Liam Donaldson, the UK’s chief medical officer
Half-term helps curb swine flu infections
The UK’s chief medical officer says the school holidays could explain the latest data, which show a decline to an estimated 64,000 new cases this week, compared with 84,000 last week
Glaxo study backs simultaneous flu jabs
Simultaneous vaccination against seasonal and pandemic flu provides protection against the virus without provoking significant side effects, according to a clinical study released by GlaxoSmithKline
Roche’s Seoul offices raided in Tamiflu probe
South Korean prosecutors suspect that they Swiss drugs group illegally provided swine flu treatment to staff of HSBC and Novartis amid fears of a widespread outbreak
Ukraine braced for swine flu outbreak
Ukraine has shut schools, banned large public gatherings and imposed travel restrictions for three weeks after confirming that a sudden outbreak of swine flu has claimed at least 11 lives
Future in betting on march of swine flu
A futures market at the University of Iowa aims to build a practitioner-level prediction of how the H1N1 virus would spread, its severity and duration
US hospitals given extra powers to treat flu
US hospitals were granted extra powers to treat the fast-rising number of swine flu patients across the country, under a declaration of “national emergency” signed by President Barack Obama
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Comment & Analysis
The hidden cost of giving away vaccines
One-off gifts of childhood vaccines can cause more harm than good. Developing countries obtain far greater benefits from being offered guaranteed low prices for a vaccine over several years, enabling them to plan vaccination properly. What matters most is not one-off initiatives but the long-run cost of a vaccine, says John Gapper
Opinion: Egypt errs again over swine flu
The government’s decision to kill every pig in the country borders on the ridiculous and the country even lacks the resources to implement the policy
Delay in raising flu alarm blunted response
Senior health officials were alerted to the swine flu outbreak in Mexico at least two weeks before they publicly raised the alarm, sparking questions of whether more could have been done
WHO knows?
Ideally, vaccines for the H1N1 virus should be sold at a flat rate to everyone. Richer countries should then pay the bills for poorer nations directly.
What’s a flu like you doing in a host like this?
To understand a disease, it is important to look at things from the point of view of the organism that causes it, writes Marlene Zuk
Woman in the News: Margaret Chan
Even critics of the WHO chief accept she is well-prepared for health crises, writes Andrew Jack
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