As week 46 of 2009 comes to a close, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that influenza has peaked in the US. That conclusion is based on the agency’s influenza surveillance program, summarized in this figure: Does this mean that pandemic influenza is over? Absolutely not. This is just the second wave, sparked …
A number of readers have asked when we would have information about the safety of the influenza 2009 H1N1 vaccine. The World Health Organization has just released briefing note #16 “Safety of pandemic vaccines” in which they summarize vaccination information from 16 countries in which 80 million doses of vaccine have been administered. Side effects …
Although the influenza 2009 H1N1 vaccine produced by Novartis, Fluvirin, was previously approved for use in the US, the clinical data supporting its safety and immunogenicity had not been released. The company has now issued a media release containing interim clinical data on the effects of the vaccine in humans. According to the company, testing …
The emergence of oseltamivir (Tamiflu)-resistant 2009 H1N1 influenza virus in a Canadian family illustrates the basic concept that viral loads depend on the dose of antiviral drug. Neuraminidase inhibitors like Tamiflu and Relenza are used to treat severe illness caused by the 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus. The antiviral drugs may also be used …
Tamiflu-resistant pandemic influenza H1N1 virus selected by prophylaxis Read More »
GlaxoSmithKline’s inactivated 2009 influenza H1N1 vaccine has been approved by the US Food & Drug Administration and by Health Canada. This action completes the list of pandemic H1N1 vaccines which I previously summarized for the US and Canada. Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine is produced by ID Biomedical Corporation of Quebec, a wholly-owned subsidiary …
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Dick Despommier, Alan Dove, and Joshua Stillman In episode 58 of the podcast “This Week in Virology”, Vincent, Dick, and Alan are joined by emergency medicine physician Dr. Joshua Stillman to talk about passive antibody therapy for Nipah infection in ferrets, annual influenza immunization of children, facemasks to prevent influenza, predicting dengue …
