November 2 Flu Update--Vaccinations for All Americans?
Bloomberg has this report on the idea of vaccinating all Americans--sure to be controversial in the post-Swine flu era. I contend that this cannot be done until the crisis is clear and present. It would, however, provide strong financial incentive to vaccine makers.China and US have pledged $500 million to Asian bird flu fight.
The Bush plan is under fire today, mostly for what is viewed as a miserly $251 million investment in Asian bird flu fighting.
No idea on the veracity of this source, but the Bangkok Post says powerful Thai politicians are behind the theft of bird flu vaccine.
Airlines examine the potential damage to their industry from a pandemic, based on their SARS experience. Note that the other pandemics have been prior to the age of common jet travel.
In a related story, Sir Richard Branson has 10,000 courses of Tamiflu purchased for his employees.
Indian story on reverse genetics and vaccine development.
Africans are working hard to get the flu awareness message into its rural areas.
Article notes that in the face of doomsday predictions, to date the human footprint of the flu is small.
Asia-Pacific nations are preparing for an early 2006 bird flu exercise.
Recombinomics notes that dead birds in South Korea raise concerns.
Progress report from Vietnam--three months since a human case.
China is promising to watch more closely for bird flu.
Paper from the State of Washington notes that Puget Sound is on the Pacific flyway, which places it in the bird flu crosshairs.
More from the Bangkok Post, where what can best be described as a "rant" is published.
The Director of Health in Hamden, CT, says its possible bird flu shows up there.
Local preperations are ongoing in Cleveland.
This story says a paper in Naples, FL started its pandemic prep five years ago.
India calls the Tamiflu battle "patient vs. Patent."
Hong Kong official opines that Tamiflu resistance is minimal.
Malaysia is talking about producing its own Tamiflu....
as is Shanghai.
The Hartford Courant notes that although the government said yesterday that vaccines are key to its flu strategy, NIH has failed to fund promising cell culture techniques.
Here's a press briefing from Dr. Rajeev Venkayya, Special Assistant to the President for Biological Defense Policy.
Dead Macedonian bird did not have H5N1.
Courtesy Crofsblogs, who has this from a Thai paper saying the most recent case there has no contact with birds.
posted by Orange @ 10:35 PM
1 Comments:
The biggest concern with Bush initiative and the world for vaccinations etc to fight with potential pandemic is generating too much greed with those $$$. Such greed may cause scientist to create the mutated virus in the lab in order to have an advance vaccine. Such act is speeding the pandemic instead of slowing it down. Good luck to all of us.
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