Originally posted by CJ
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Swine flu impact not as bad as expected ?
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WHO notches up swine flu pandemic alert Global outbreak considered imminent; vaccine efforts will be ramped up
msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 5:54 p.m. ET April 29, 2009
The World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert for swine flu to the second highest level Wednesday, meaning that it believes a global outbreak of the disease is imminent.
WHO Director General Margaret Chan declared the phase 5 alert after consulting with flu experts from around the world. The decision could lead the global body to recommend additional measures to combat the outbreak, including for vaccine manufacturers to switch production from seasonal flu vaccines to a pandemic vaccine.
"All countries should immediately now activate their pandemic preparedness plans," Chan told reporters in Geneva. "It really is all of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic."
A phase 5 alert means there is sustained transmission among people in at least two countries. Once the virus shows effective transmission in two different regions of the world, a full pandemic outbreak — level 6 — would be declared, meaning a global epidemic of a new and deadly disease.
"It is important to take this very seriously," Chan told a news conference watched around the globe on Wednesday. But for the average person, the term "pandemic" doesn't mean they're suddenly at greater risk.
Nearly a week after the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, was first identified in California and Texas, about 100 cases have now been confirmed in the U.S. across 11 states, and health officials reported Wednesday that a 23-month-old Mexican boy had died in Texas.
But in Mexico, where up to 159 people have died from the virus and around 1,300 more are being tested for infection, people struggled with an emergency that has brought normal life virtually to a standstill over the past week.
Almost all cases outside of Mexico have had only light symptoms, and only a handful of cases have needed hospitalization.
Officials warned more deaths could be expected as surveillance of the illness increases.
Pharmaceutical companies should ramp up manufacturing, Chan said. Two antiviral drugs — Relenza, made by GlaxoSmithKline and Tamiflu, made by Roche AG — have been shown to work against the H1N1 strain.
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"There's one way to find out if a man is honest-ask him. If he says 'yes,' you know he is a crook." Groucho Marx
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H1N1 swine flu is seen as the biggest risk since H5N1 avian flu re-emerged in 2003, killing 257 people of 421 infected in 15 countries. In 1968 a “Hong Kong” flu pandemic killed about 1 million people globally, and a 1957 pandemic killed about 2 million.
Seasonal flu kills 250,000 to 500,000 people in a normal year, including healthy children in rich countries.Last edited by muppet; 30-04-2009, 11:40 AM."There's one way to find out if a man is honest-ask him. If he says 'yes,' you know he is a crook." Groucho Marx
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Tamiflu Shelf life:
This is unconfirmed information, and as such should be treated with suspicion, but the source(confidential) was such that I thought it worth commenting on.
I had heard that most Tamiflu stocks were due to expire, and the manufacturer simply extended the shelf life............... If I recall right most Tamiflu stocks were built up during the Bird Flu scare and Sars..........From that I gather is Tamiflu has a 2 year shelf life it would indeed be expiring.
If any one has recently purchased Tamifly I would be interested to find out what teh expiry date on the packet was............and if it had been stickered over.
Even if true............it may not be of concern; perhaps research has shown it remains potent for longer than first anticipated.The mission of any business enterprise should include the aim to develop economic conditions rather than simply react to them.
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Avarian Bird Flu, Swine Flu, next Dog Flu then comes Cat Flu. Do you fix the problem or turn your brain in a new direction and use prevention?
Can anyone find the answer to show how many people die in New Zealand and America from "Correctly Administered Pharmaceuticals" as this will amaze the majority of people to read such facts - I know it can be found within Government Statistics of such things.
How about considering this view aswell:
and how about this worry aswell: http://articles.mercola.com:80/sites...Illnesses.aspx
These links have connections to many of Americas main newspapers and official health journals so genuinely need investigating for the real truth.
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Originally posted by Austrokiwi View PostThis is unconfirmed information, and as such should be treated with suspicion, but the source(confidential) was such that I thought it worth commenting on.
I had heard that most Tamiflu stocks were due to expire, and the manufacturer simply extended the shelf life............... If I recall right most Tamiflu stocks were built up during the Bird Flu scare and Sars..........From that I gather is Tamiflu has a 2 year shelf life it would indeed be expiring.
If any one has recently purchased Tamifly I would be interested to find out what teh expiry date on the packet was............and if it had been stickered over.
Even if true............it may not be of concern; perhaps research has shown it remains potent for longer than first anticipated.
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