------------------------------------------------------------------------- AFP reports that successful swine flu vaccine can be made soon Successful swine flu vaccine can be made soon: WHO ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- My reaction: No need to be too panic with swine flu because the world has learnt valuable lessons from global health emergencies in the past but we should remain on guard. Asian countries are well-prepared the most. Conclusion: This is not the first time we are dealing with a lethal epidemic, although, swine flu comes in more frightened form, easily infecting from human to human. But this time, we seem to be well-prepared as every country is alert to the situation. We exchange information, we monitor the condition, we act quickly, and most important thing is we know what we are doing. The objectives are to bring the influenza A H1N1 under control, and there’s a good sign from WHO, since they claim that a vaccine against swine flu will be ready to serve urgent need of the world in weeks. Moreover, the reopen of Mexico City and going down infection rate show a sign of existing hope, even though, many scientists condemn this action. But if you were the people in Mexico, who have been banned from many mean countries, won’t you do the same? I agree with the idea of moving on with better care and appreciate that the Mexicans don’t give up their hope.
by Alissaraporn S.
The Associated Press reports that long before swine flu, Asia tackled SARS, bird flu [read full article]
Long before swine flu, Asia tackled SARS, bird flu
Apr-29-09 12:50pm
By: Min Lee
From: http://www.ap.org/ 
Before swine flu emptied restaurants and cinemas and made surgical masks a common sight in Mexico, similar scenes unfolded in Asia earlier this decade as it dealt with the back-to-back health emergencies of SARS and bird flu.
Both of those episodes offered lessons that have helped China, Vietnam and other countries prepare for the latest global health crisis, experts and officials say.
Among the chief lessons: countries must openly and honestly exchange information, vigilantly monitor for illness, aggressively quarantine suspected patients and thoroughly prepare emergency plans.
"If there's anything good that came out from SARS and avian influenza, it's that we now have better preparedness in China as well as in the rest of the world," said Hans Troedsson, head of the World Health Organization in Beijing.
"What is important is a transparency and an openness not only with the WHO but also with the public. It is very important that the public ... the common people, understand the situation" and not have the situation exaggerated, he said.
"The best way to do that is to provide information. That is the lesson we learned both in Vietnam as well in all other countries," he said.
The disease [SARS] spread outside the mainland [China] in February 2003 when an infected 64-year-old doctor checked into a Hong Kong hotel. He later died in a local hospital, but not before he had infected 16 other hotel guests. Among them were tourists from Singapore and Canada and an American businessman, who traveled to other places, transmitting the disease and spreading the virus internationally. Also infected was a Hong Kong resident, who became ill and later spread the virus to another 143 people.
Within weeks, SARS had spread worldwide, infecting more than 8,000 people from 37 countries before it disappeared. More than 770 people died — 299 from Hong Kong alone.
SARS "gave us a lot of valuable insight and practical experience in managing a large-scale outbreak that eventually spread to other parts of the world. That certainly has prepared us very well for what may come," Hong Kong Undersecretary for Food and Health Gabriel Leung said at a news conference Monday.
Governments dealing with swine flu have drawn on these experiences and put into effect emergency plans. Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines dusted off thermal scanners used in the 2003 SARS crisis to check for fever among arriving passengers from North America. South Korea, India and Indonesia also announced screening.
Fri May 1, 12:57 pm ET
GENEVA (AFP) – The World Health Organisation on Friday said it had "no doubt" that a successful vaccine against the new swine flu virus that could be made in a "short period of time" and in large quantities.
"We have no doubt that making a successful vaccine is possible in a relatively short period of time," said Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO Director of the Initiative for Vaccine Research.
Availability would take "four to six months between the time the virus is isolated to the availability of the first dose," she told reporters.
Kieny said a vaccine would be easy to produce using traditional methods of developing and producing vaccines, as well as more complex reverse genetic technology.
Dozens of manufacturers around the world, in both industrialized and developing countries, had been approached and were committed to produce a vaccine against the new influenza A(H1N1).
"The main capacity is in Europe and North America but there are serious manufacturers in other parts of the world, in Asia in particular," she added.
"They still don't have the material that will allow them to start but they are already putting things in place that will allow them to do so as soon as possible."
The volume produced was still uncertain said Kieny. But her "best estimate is that there would be around one to two billion doses minimum available in one year."
The Associated Press reports health officials say they’re moving fast to identify flu, prepare vaccine [read full article]
Health officials say they're moving fast to identify flu, prepare vaccine
By JIM ABRAMS , Associated Press
Last update: May 6, 2009 - 11:14 AM
WASHINGTON - Health officials told lawmakers Wednesday it took only two weeks to identify the genetic characteristics of swine flu, and they are in good position to quickly produce a vaccine if the flu takes a turn for the worse.
At the same time, the officials cautioned members of a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee that there are still elements of what they called the novel 2009 H1N1 influenza virus that they don't understand, and it was not time for complacency.
Dr. Anne Schuchat, acting deputy director for science and program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also urged caution, saying they expected to see more people get sick and more serious cases. One factor, she said, is that the Southern Hemisphere is now moving into its flu season.
But she also stressed that "at no time in our history have we been more prepared to face this challenge."
She said the CDC moved rapidly to determine that the virus circulating in the U.S. and around the world contains genetic pieces from four different virus sources and that within two weeks it was able to understand its complete genetic characteristics.
"We have isolated and identified the virus and discussions are under way so that, should we need to manufacture a vaccine, we can work towards that goal very quickly," she said.
The WHO has stopped short of declaring the outbreak a pandemic. There were three pandemics in the 20th century, the Spanish flu of 1918 that killed 50 million worldwide, the Asian flu of 1957 that killed 1-2 million and the Hong Kong flu of 1968 that killed 700,000.
Schuchat said the swine flu appears to differ from seasonal flu in that most U.S. cases, including those needing hospitalization, involve those aged five to 50 instead of the very young and the elderly. One possibility is that people older than 50 might have protection because of exposure to a similar virus when they were young, she said.
The Associated Press reports Mexico City getting some of its bustle back after swine flu shutdown, but experts urge caution. [read full article]
Mexico City getting some of its bustle back after swine flu shutdown, but experts urge caution
By PETER ORSI , Associated Press
Last update: May 5, 2009 - 5:43 AM 
MEXICO CITY - Traffic is picking up again, cafes are reopening and cleanup crews are getting universities ready to resume classes. Mexico City has some of its customary bustle back, and the president promises life is returning to normal after a five-day shutdown to contain the spread of swine flu.
Mexico still called off Cinco de Mayo celebrations Tuesday, including the biggest one of all — a re-enactment of the May 5, 1862, victory over French troops in the central state of Puebla. And health experts warned that Mexico and the rest of the world needed to remain on guard against the virus.
"The school schedule will resume with the guarantee that our educational institutions are in adequate hygienic condition," [President Felipe] Calderon said. He urged parents to join educators in a "collective" cleansing and inspection of schools nationwide.
"This is about going back to normalcy, but with everyone taking better care," Calderon said.
Already more vehicles prowled the streets of the capital Monday than over the weekend, and fewer people wore surgical masks. Some cafes even reopened ahead of time.
Health Secretary Jose Cordova said infections were trending downward after Mexico's 27 deaths, including a Mexican toddler who died in Texas. He said those infected appeared to pass the virus on to an average of 1.4 other people, near the normal flu rate of around 1.3.
The latest figures from Mexico suggest the virus may be less lethal and infectious than originally feared. Only 38 percent of suspected cases have turned out to be swine flu, and no new deaths have been reported since April 29. But Cordova acknowledged that about 100 early deaths in which swine flu was suspected may never be confirmed because mucous or tissue samples were not collected.
Chinese authorities quarantined Mexicans and other passengers who came in close contact with them, even those who didn't show symptoms.
The words “nothing impossible” seems to be an unchangeable truth in this world, especially when we speak of “human capability”. Of course, I’m saying that human can do everything and we will finally get over swine flu. But as we’ve experienced the danger of viruses and influenza that are quietly developing itself across the species and seem getting more and more dangerous, we must also be prepared for the next global health crisis as well as to strengthen our potential in order to tackle with it effectively.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Swine Flu is on Its Way out of the Woods
Swine Flu is on Its Way out of the WoodsAsia had learnt lessons from the 2003 health crisis, SARS and bird flu outbreaks, which could help Asian countries to be more prepared to battle with the coming virus. Asian countries, especially Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines, have learnt valuable insight and practical experience from that crisis. Therefore, they seem manage the situation well and know what should be done. They realize that it is important to inform and make the common people understand the entire situation without exaggerating given information. World Health Organization assures that a vaccine against swine flu virus could be produced and distributed throughout the world in a short period of time with adequate quantities, since the production processes of vaccines are not complicated. Moreover, the medical manufacturers around the world alert to the situation. Mexico City, an epicenter of swine flu is in hurry to normalize its country. The schools are confirmed to have adequate hygienic conditions and ready to reopen on Monday, 11. President Felipe Calderon believes the people will take better care and be more careful with risk of infecting swine flu in their daily lives. Mexico reveals the infection rate is decreasing, and almost gets to the normal flu rate. 38% of all suspected cases have turn out to be swine flu and no new deaths reported since April, 29.
In a televised message to the country late Monday, Calderon had harsh words for countries that he said are treating Mexicans unfairly. "Stop taking actions that only hurt Mexico and don't contribute to avoid the transmission of the disease."
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