Virology

Safety of influenza 2009 H1N1 vaccine

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 ...

Poliovirus on BBC radio

At the end of 1981, the year that I had shown that cloned poliovirus DNA is infectious, BBC Radio asked me to do an interview about the work. The name of the show was Science Now but I can't recall who was the host. Whoever he was, he didn't understand ...

Novartis influenza A H1N1 vaccine clinical data

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. ...

Viruses and journalism: Off-the-shelf chemicals

I have had many opportunities to speak with journalists of different kinds during the more than 30 years that I have studied viruses. I wrote previously about my negative experience with CNN. I'd like to relate a much more positive encounter with newspaper reporters. As a postdoctoral fellow in David ...

Tamiflu-resistant pandemic influenza H1N1 virus selected by prophylaxis

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 ...
Scroll to Top