WHO: No licensed swine flu vaccine til end of year

scroll for international update 15 July 2009

July 13, 2009

A fully licensed swine flu vaccine might not be available until the end of the year, a top official at the World Health Organization said Monday, in a report that could affect many countries' vaccination plans.

But countries could use emergency provisions to get the vaccines out quicker if they decide their populations need them(...)

The decision to start vaccinating people against swine flu — which so far remains a mild virus in most people — will ultimately be a gamble, since there will be limited data on any vaccine. Until millions of people start receiving the shots, experts will not know about rare and potentially dangerous side effects.

The public health community may still be scarred by the U.S.' disastrous 1976 swine flu vaccination campaign, which was abruptly stopped after hundreds of people reported developing Guillain-Barre syndrome, a paralyzing disorder, after getting the flu vaccine.......


WHO: No licensed swine flu vaccine til end of year


QUOTE WHO **: 'Since new technologies are involved in the production of some pandemic vaccines, which have not yet been extensively evaluated for their safety in certain population groups, it is very important to implement post-marketing surveillance of the highest possible quality. In addition, rapid sharing of the results of immunogenicity and post-marketing safety and effectiveness studies among the international community will be essential for allowing countries to make necessary adjustments to their vaccination policies. '


================

International update:


GENERAL:

--

GENERAL:

--Data gaps could give distorted picture of swine flu: study
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090714/hl_afp/healthfluepidemiology_20090714234326

--'Better data needed' on swine flu
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8150952.stm


ARGENTINE:

--Flu outbreak to weigh on slowing Argentina economy
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N14281320.htm


AUSTRALIA:

--Australia's 'worst case scenario'; 6,000 H1N1 deaths
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SYD537212.htm

--Swine flu: 10,000 cases in Australia, Japan 3,000
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090715/wl_asia_afp/healthfluaustraliatoll_20090715052452


CHILE:

--Chile tops South America with H1N1 flu cases
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N14269884.htm


THAILAND:

--Thai capital to close 435 schools to halt H1N1 spread
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BKK452436.htm




WHO:

--Pandemic flu shows need for pharma incentives -WHO
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LE348710.htm

Link: ** WHO/WHO recommendations on pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccines
Link: Experts unearth history of pandemic flu viruses
Link: New flu resembles feared 1918 virus, study finds
Link: WHO chief doubts speedy swine flu vaccinations
Link: WHO says health workers priority for H1N1 vaccine