RP’s Swine Flu Death Toll Rises to 6

Philippine health officials say three more people have died of A(H1N1)- or swine flu-related illnesses, bring the country's death toll to six.

Lyndon Lee Suy said Thursday that officials have confirmed 3,207 swine flu infections since May and 2,975 of the patients have recovered. Suy is a health department manager for infectious diseases.

So far, all recorded deaths related to A(H1N1) in the country were patients who had existing medical conditions, the Department of Health (DOH) has said.

Among the fatalities were a 49-year-old woman who had a heart disease; a 19-year-old man with asthma; and a 49-year-old man with emphysema.

Two other Filipinos abroad have also died of swine flu.

One was a 42-year-old seaman from the La Union province who died from complications of the both A(H1N1) influenza and the bacterium Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (CA-MRSA) in Hong Kong.

On Monday, a 37-year-old Filipino domestic helper in Hong Kong also succumbed to the disease after weeks in hospital.

The DOH stopped giving regular updates on swine flu after the World Health Organization ceased requiring countries to submit regular reports of individual laboratory-confirmed cases.

WHO has asked countries to instead shift to reporting unusual events such as clusters of severe or fatal infections.

In its July 27 update, WHO recorded 134,503 confirmed cases worldwide with 816 deaths. Of these figures, 87,965 or 65 percent of the infections and 707 deaths (86 percent) were recorded in the Americas.

By GMANews.TV


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Pregnant Women First To Get Swine Flu Vaccine

Pregnant women front of line for swine flu vaccine.

Pregnant women, health care workers and children six months and older should be placed at the front of the line for swine flu vaccinations this fall, a government panel recommended Wednesday.

The panel also said those first vaccinated should include parents and other caregivers of infants; non-elderly adults who have high-risk medical conditions; and young adults ages 19 to 24.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted to set vaccination priorities for those groups Wednesday during a meeting in Atlanta. The panel's recommendations are usually adopted by federal health officials.

The recommendations are designed to address potential limits in vaccine availability this fall if there is heavy demand and limited supplies.

The government estimates that about 120 million swine flu vaccine doses will be available to the public by late October. Roughly 160 million people are in the priority groups considered most vulnerable to infection or most at risk for severe disease.

Although the number recommended to get doses exceeds the projected supply, health officials don't think everyone will run out and get vaccinated. Traditionally, less than half of the people recommended to get seasonal flu shots get them. Only about 15 percent of pregnant women get seasonal flu vaccinations.

If there is ample vaccine, vaccinations also would be recommended for all non-elderly adults, the panel also voted. And if there's still plenty of vaccine, the swine flu shots and spray doses should be offered to people 65 and older. Fewer illnesses have been reported in the elderly, who appear to have higher levels of immunity to the virus, health experts say.

However, the elderly should be pushed to get shots against seasonal flu, which is a significant health risk to older adults.

Panel members say they hope swine flu vaccinations will be opened up quickly. "The only sin is vaccine left in the refrigerator," said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University flu expert, in a comment to the panel.

The panel also said if vaccine is scarce, the government could require that a much tighter group be at the front of the vaccination line, numbering about 40 million. That would include pregnant women and household contacts of small children, just like in the general priority recommendation. But the others would be children ages 6 months through 4 years, children with chronic medical conditions and only health care workers who have direct contact with patients.

It's a worst-case scenario that officials aren't expecting, but they wanted to have a plan for it just in case, said officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal agency that reviews the panels recommendations.

The range of recommendations reflects how hard it is to plan for swine flu, officials said. Some health officials have compared the exercise to predicting a hurricane. The storm — or virus — is itself unpredictable; it could grow more dangerous or suddenly weaken. The availability of lifesaving supplies or vaccine can also affect survival.

"It's better to prepare and have the storm fizzle than to be sitting there with no way off the island when the tsunami rolls in," said Kristine Sheedy, a CDC communications specialist.

Variables with the swine flu virus can range from whether it mutates into a form that is more deadly, spreads more efficiently, or is better at fighting off current antiviral medications.

Variables with the vaccine include potential production problems. Production of the vaccine will be a prodigious feat: The government has already purchased 195 million doses for the coming fall and winter, which far eclipses the 125 million or so doses generally produced for seasonal flu vaccine.

Four vaccine manufacturers are wrapping up seasonal flu vaccine production and have begun production of swine flu vaccine. But another company, Sanofi Pasteur, has been more delayed and may not finish seasonal vaccine production until September, a company spokeswoman said. Sanofi is among the largest producers of flu vaccine, so those delays could have a significant ripple effect.

Packaging, distribution and other steps can take a month or more. For those reasons, the government's best guess at the moment is 40 million doses will be available in September and 120 million by around mid-October.

Health officials are pushing for the work to done quickly. There are also clinical trials taking place over the next few months to check the vaccine's safety and effectiveness, but it's possible the government will begin a public vaccination campaign before that work is complete, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, who oversees the CDC's flu vaccination programs.

First identified in April, swine flu has likely infected more than 1 million Americans, the CDC believes, with many of those suffering mild cases never reported. There have been 302 deaths and nearly 44,000 laboratory-identified cases, according to CDC numbers released last week.

It's not clear whether the virus in its current form is much worse than seasonal flu in terms of overall threat to the U.S. population, but it is causing more severe illness in some younger adults and children. It has a dangerous genetic characteristic that allows it to infect the lower lungs, whereas seasonal flu tends to infect the upper respiratory tract, CDC officials said.


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WHO: Young People More Prone To A(H1N1)

Younger people are at greater risk of catching swine flu, with most cases occurring in teenagers, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

The median age of those infected with the pandemic H1N1 virus is 12 to 17 years, WHO said in a statement, citing data from Canada, Chile, Japan, UK and the United States. Patients requiring hospitalization and those with fatal cases may be slightly older, the Geneva-based United Nations agency said.

“As the disease expands broadly into communities, the average age of the cases is appearing to increase slightly,” WHO said. “This may reflect the situation in many countries where the earliest cases often occurred as school outbreaks but later cases were occurring in the community.”

World health officials are trying to determine which groups are most likely to get severely ill so measures to best protect them can be taken. Drugmakers are developing vaccines to fight the scourge, which WHO says may result in 2 billion infections.

Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes and cancer put people infected with the new H1N1 virus at greater risk of developing severe complications, the UN agency said. Asthma and other forms of respiratory disease have been consistently reported as underlying conditions associated with more severe illness in several countries, it said.

Obesity has also been reported as a risk factor, and there is mounting evidence that pregnant women are at higher risk for more severe symptoms, WHO said. Some minority populations may also be more vulnerable, “but the potential contributions of cultural, economic and social risk factors are not clear.”

Humans trials of a pandemic vaccine began in Australia this week, helping regulators gauge the safety and efficacy of shots.

The most common way to make flu vaccine is by growing the virus in fertilizer chicken eggs. The virus is then extracted, purified and killed for injection into humans, prompting the immune system to generate antibodies that fend off any infection.

WHO said the yields for pandemic vaccine viruses are 25 percent to 50 percent of those of normal seasonal flu viruses for some manufacturers.

A network of WHO collaborators is trying to develop higher- yielding vaccine virus candidates, the agency said, adding that it will be able to revise its estimate of pandemic vaccine supply once it has the new yield information.


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What Is Swine Flu Exactly?

What Is Swine Flu?

"Swine flu" is the name commonly given to a new form of flu. From a first known case in Mexico, the outbreak has spread at exceptional speed, prompting the UN's World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare a pandemic on June 11. The official designation is A(H1N1) influenza.

Why The Alarm?

People have no or little immunity against the new virus. Three times in the past century, brand-new flu strains have spread around the world, killing millions of people. The good news is that A(H1N1) is contagious but relatively mild. Its effects are comparable to those of ordinary, or "seasonal", flu. But the worry is that it could pick up genes making it as lethal as past pandemic microbes.

What Is The Toll?

More than 700 people have been killed by A(H1N1), according to the WHO. It stopped issuing a tally of infections in July, when recorded cases neared the 100,000 mark. By comparison, between 250,000 to 500,000 people around the world die of regular seasonal flu every year.

How Does A(H1N1) Spread?

Swine flu spreads like ordinary flu, i.e. in viral particles expelled in coughs and sneezes that are then breathed in by someone nearby, or deposited on surfaces that are then touched by the hand and transmitted to the mouth, nose or eyes. People with the virus may be able to infect others beginning a day before symptoms develop, and up to seven days or more after becoming sick. Young children may be contagious for somewhat longer.

What Are The Symptoms?

Sudden fever above 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit), cough, headache, aching joints, nasal congestion, general fatigue and lack of appetite. Some patients have reported respiratory difficulties, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. In the severest cases, swine flu causes pneumonia and worsened chronic medical conditions.

When Should I Seek Help?

Medical care should be sought if you suffer shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, if a fever persists beyond three days, or if you also have a condition that could cause complications, such as pregnancy or an underlying respiratory disorder. Parents should seek help if a young child has fast or laboured breathing, continuing fever or seizures.

How Is Swine Flu Treated?

At home, someone with flu can be helped by letting them rest, drink plenty of fluids and take a pain reliever for aches. A non-aspirin pain reliever should be used by children and young adults because of the risk of a rare but serious disorder called Reye's syndrome. Doctors may also prescribe oseltamivir, marketed as Tamiflu, or zanamivir, marketed as Relenza. These work by preventing the virus from reproducing. If administered in time, they can ease symptoms, shorten the duration of illness and reduce infectiousness for others. Many governments have built up a stockpile of these antivirals as part of their anti-pandemic strategy.

Is There A Vaccine

Trials are underway among volunteers to see if a candidate vaccine is safe and invokes an effective response against the virus by the immune system. If all goes well, the vaccine should be available in the northern hemisphere's autumn, although the precise date is unclear. It remains uncertain whether the vaccine will still provide a shield if the novel flu mutates further.

How Can I Avoid Infection?

Commonsense hygiene and social distancing reduce the risk. They include frequent hand-washing using soap or alcohol-based gel; covering one's face while sneezing or coughing; and using clean paper handkerchiefs that are carefully disposed of after use. You can also avoid greeting someone with a kiss or a handshake; clean commonly-touched surfaces such as telephones, computer keyboards, door handles, tables and lift buttons; and keep good ventilation in your home or workplace. A distance of two metres (six feet) from an infected person also reduces the contagion risk, as can a face mask, if properly used (paper or cloth masks must be changed every four hours). If you fall sick, stay at home if possible to avoid infecting others.

Should I Go To A Swine Flu Party?

No, say watchdogs. "Swine flu parties" are gatherings where people deliberately come into close contact with someone with A(H1N1) in order to become infected with the virus. Their hope is that by being exposed to a mild form of flu, they will gain immunity against a more severe form in future. Health experts caution against these "parties". Even if swine flu is relatively mild, some cases have been severe and even been fatal. In addition, you may unwittingly transmit the virus to someone elderly or with respiratory problems, and place them at risk. And there is no guarantee that being infected now will protect you later, if the virus does mutate.

Why "Swine Flu"?

The early suspicions were that the reassorted virus leapt from pigs to humans. But the virus' genetic signature points to a variety of sources from humans, birds and pigs, and the origin remains unknown. There is no evidence that anyone has picked up A(H1N1) from pigs or any other animal.

What Does A(H1N1) Mean?

The "A" denotes one of the A group of influenza viruses. A and B viruses can cause seasonal flu, but only A viruses have caused flu pandemics. There is also a C viral group blamed for sporadic cases of flu. The "H" and "N" refer to two viral proteins, haemagglutinin and neuraminidase. The two "1s" relate to the subtype of protein structure, which varies significantly.

SOURCES: AFP, WHO, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), French ministry of health.


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BayBay Leyte Declared Swine Flu State of Calamity

Baybay, Leyte village under state of calamity due to H1N1

Palo, Leyte - The municipality of Baybay in Leyte placed one of its barangay under a state of emergency on Wednesday after nine children of the village were confirmed to be positive of the influenza A (H1N1) virus.

And with the declaration, the local government unit of Baybay could now directly purchase the Tamiflu capsules from their central office using its calamity fund, Doctor Minerva Molon, assistant heath director for Eastern Visayas said yesterday.

The affected barangay was Guadalupe where nine schoolchildren of the village’ elementary school were found to be positive of the A virus.

The Guadalupe Elementary School has a student population of 262. The village itself has 2,024 residents and is located about eight kilometers away from the center of Baybay.

Doctor Jennifer Abieras of the Leyte health office reported that around 106 cases of influenza like illness were monitored at the said elementary school.

Cases were first noted on July 13. The provincial health office confirmed the nine cases on Tuesday.

The declaration of emergency in Guadalupe was the first of its kind in the region where the regional office of the DOH has reported of 192 confirmed cases. Of this number, 57 were from this city.

Mayor Alfred Romualdez nixed to place Tacloban under a state of calamity due to the big number of H1N1 cases citing the City Health Office, in particular, is doing well on its job of its surveillance and monitoring of individuals suspected to be showing the influenza like illness.

Molon said that now the local government unit of Baybay has placed one of its village under a state of emergency due to the presence of H1N1 on their locality, they could now directly purchased Tamiflu capsules to be distributed to the patients confirmed to have been infected with the A virus.

“It is only the Department of Health which has the supply of the Tamiflu,” she said.

She added that the local government unit of Baybay could make use of their calamity fund to purchase the medicines.

Reached for comment, a local official of Baybay asked not to be identified saying they do not like to make the issue “controversial.”

“And we don’t like to create panic among our people here,” the official said, declining to answer further queries.

And as part of their contingency measures, the DOH-8 office would extend Tamiflu capsules to the local government unit of Baybay.

Molon, however, could not say yet as to how many capsules of Tamiflu the DOH-8 would extend to Baybay.

The DOH in the region has prepositioned about 5,000 Tamiflu capsules which would be distributed to persons with confirmed A virus.

By Leyte Samar Daily


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Health Officials Mull How To Slow Swine Flu

Some Muslim countries are advising pregnant women not to attend the hajj pilgrimage. China is quarantining any visitor suspected of having a fever, while priests in New Zealand have been banned from placing Communion wafers on worshippers' tongues.

It's all part of a global effort to slow the spread of swine flu until a vaccine is ready, although experts are divided on whether the measures will work.

Students across Europe may have their summer vacations extended after the World Health Organization said Tuesday that closing schools was one option countries could consider.

Deaths from the H1N1 virus have doubled in the past three weeks, to over 700 from about 330 at the start of July, the agency said.

"We expect to see more cases and deaths in the future," WHO spokeswoman Aphaluck Bhatiasevi told The Associated Press in Geneva.

The agency gave no breakdown, but as of last week, the United States had reported 263 deaths, Canada had 45 and Britain had 29. According to WHO's last update on July 6, there were 119 deaths in Mexico.

Yet even the latest figures may seriously underestimate the true toll because not all swine flu cases are being picked up due to testing limitations.

The race is now on to develop a vaccine that is effective against the pandemic strain before the flu season begins this fall in the northern hemisphere. Estimates for when a vaccine will be available range from September to December.

In the meantime, the U.N. health agency is working with its national counterparts around the world to examine what countries can do.

"School closures is one of the mitigation measures that could be considered by countries," Bhatiasevi told reporters.

Experts have argued that school closures may be among the most effective measures, but warn there may be a considerable economic downside, too.

Religious leaders have been drawn into the debate after authorities in Jordan and health officials at a conference in Saudi Arabia recommended that people thought to be most at risk, including pregnant women and those with chronic diseases, skip the hajj pilgrimage this year.

Arab health ministers are holding an emergency meeting Wednesday in Cairo to come up with a unified plan to confront the pandemic.

In New Zealand, the Roman Catholic Church imposed a ban on priests placing Communion wafers on the tongues of worshippers and on the sharing of Communion wine. It also asked parishioners to avoid bodily contact at services, including shaking hands.

In Chile, where 40 people have died from swine flu, authorities canceled a popular religious festival that normally draws tens of thousands of worshippers to the northern town of La Tirana, prompting protests from the faithful.

"The key question is whether citizens will accept the measures governments impose," said Christian Drosten, head of the Institute for Virology at the University of Bonn in Germany.

"You need to get the population on board, otherwise your efforts won't work," he said. "Once people take the disease seriously, you'll begin to see the kind of social distancing that limits infection."

"But it's all a question of culture," Drosten added. "What works in Europe may not work in other countries, and vice versa."

In Switzerland, supermarket chains are considering requiring customers to disinfect their hands and put on a face mask as they enter the store.

"We can put these measures in place as quickly we get food into the stores," said Urs Peter Naef, a spokesman for the Migros chain, Switzerland's biggest.

China's practice of forcibly quarantining visitors has caused bewilderment elsewhere, particularly when hundreds of American, British and other foreign students have been sealed off in hotels for days on just the suspicion of infection.

Chinese officials in masks or hazmat suits board planes, pointing temperature guns at passengers' foreheads. If a passenger is diagnosed with swine flu, anyone seated within three rows is often tracked down. Those quarantined get to leave if they are healthy seven days from the date they landed.

In Britain, health officials' advice that women put off planning to have children due to the global outbreak was met with ridicule since the swine flu pandemic may last years.

One measure comes up again and again _ school closures _ but it has its own risks.

A paper published Tuesday in the medical journal The Lancet argues that closing schools can help break the chain of transmission, slowing the pace of the disease and lessening the burden on health care systems.

But the paper, written by researchers at London's Imperial College, also noted the considerable economic costs as parents are forced to stay home to look after their children.

France's Education Ministry has already prepared nearly 300 hours of educational programming for radio and television to allow those affected by school closures to follow their lessons, the Le Parisien daily reported.

The experience of school closures in the United States during the early days of the epidemic may prove to be a guide for how best to handle outbreaks in an educational setting.

Initially, authorities recommended schools close for two weeks if there was a suspected case, but when the virus turned out to be milder than feared they switched to advising parents to keep only sick students home. Schools could still close if there were a large number of student and staff out sick _ the same guidance for schools contending with an outbreak of seasonal flu.

"We have some general philosophies and principles that the best place for healthy kids is in school, where they can learn ... and where many of them get breakfast and lunch and can be nourished as well," Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week.

Apart from school closures, a team of WHO experts is also examining other measures including postponing mass gatherings, such as sports events and concerts, Bhatiasevi said. That could prove very unpopular since football and Major League Baseball, as well as world soccer teams all have heavy fall schedules.

Ultimately, the responsibility to decide what to do to keep the pandemic under control rests with individual governments, Bhatiasevi said.

"Different countries could be facing a pandemic at different levels at different times. It is really up to countries to consider what mitigation efforts suit them."


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H1N1 Flu Cases in E. Visayas Now 121

The confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) virus in the region continues to soar as the Department of Health revealed that there are now 121 persons infected with the virus.

Regional Health Director Edgardo Gonzaga said that the fast spread of virus was due to the contacts of these persons from persons who were confirmed to be carriers of the virus.

And based on their record, around 90 percent of them were children and students, considered by the DOH as among the high risk groups who could easily get the infection.

With its 121 cases, the region has now highest number of A cases with the National Capital Region and Region IV-A just ahead in terms of cases.

But despite the fast increase of the number of A cases in the region, Gonzaga maintained that they are still on top of the situation.

Yesterday, the regional DOH together with the City Health Office initiated a summit on H1N1 with 60 school officials representing 44 public schools and 17 private schools from this city in attendance.

During the half-day summit, the school officials agreed to immediately inform the DOH of their students showing symptoms of the virus for easy monitoring and giving treatment by the health officials.

The school administrators also agreed to also suspend classes once there are confirmed cases on their schools to avoid further spread of the A cases.

Doctor Jaime Opinion, city health officer, said that as of yesterday, two public secondary schools, two state universities and three private schools based in the city suspended their classes due to confirmed A cases.

These schools would resume their classes after seven-days of suspension.

Boyd Cerro, regional sentinel nurse, said that while the region’s A cases are increasing at a fast speed, there is a 100 percent recovery among the persons infected. The victims’ age range from as young s two years old and up to 45 years old.

“That is the good news. We may have high cases of influenza A but all of them have recovered,” Cerro said.

Cerro, however, said that they would remain vigilant for fear that those with “immune compromise” or low immunity resistance could get hit by the H1N1 virus.

Cerro said that this “risk group” could easily get the infection and the possibility that they could die is not remote citing the 19 year old man from Luzon who was positive with A and suffering from asthma.

This risk group involves those who are suffering asthma and other respiratory infections and malnourished children.

By Leyte Samar Daily


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Swine Flu: 10 Things Not to Do

Why you should nix swine flu parties, and other swine flu don'ts.

Swine flu isn't in the headlines as much as it was a couple of months ago, and while there have been deaths and hospitalizations in countries worldwide, most cases have been relatively mild.

That's the good news. But the bad news is, swine flu isn't gone. In fact, it may pick up steam during the usual flu season -- and it could worsen.

With that in mind, here are 10 swine flu "don'ts" -- things not to do for swine flu prevention.

1. Don't expect seasonal flu vaccination to prevent swine flu.

The seasonal flu vaccine doesn't protect against swine flu. Scientists are working on a swine flu vaccine, but that will be a separate vaccination.

Do get vaccinated against seasonal flu, when that vaccine becomes available. Seasonal flu can be serious, especially for infants, elders, and people with weak immune systems. The CDC notes that seasonal flu or its complications kill an average of 36,000 people per year in the U.S. and hospitalize more than 200,000 people.

Getting vaccinated each year against seasonal flu is the single best way to protect against seasonal flu, according to the CDC.

2. Don't count on a face mask to prevent swine flu infection.

According to the CDC, it's not clear how effective face masks are at preventing the transmission of the H1N1 or seasonal influenza viruses. The same is true for respirators worn snugly over the face as filters.

The CDC doesn't recommend face masks or respirators in most settings, except if you're at high risk of severe illness from influenza and are caring for someone who has a flu-like illness, or for high-risk people who can't avoid being in a crowded setting where the swine flu virus is present.

3. Don't hold or attend a swine flu party.

The guest of honor at a swine flu party is someone who's got swine flu. The point is for other guests to catch the virus in the hopes that they'll have a mild illness and gain immunity so that they won't get sick if the H1N1 virus worsens.

That's a bad idea, according to the CDC, because there's no way to know whether swine flu will be severe or fatal in swine flu party guests -- or anyone else that they, in turn, infect.

4. Don't neglect planning.

Remember all those swine flu school closings last spring? That could happen again when the new school year starts. So now's the time for parents to plan how they would handle a child's school closing for several days or weeks.

Workers may also want to look into how their company handles sick leave or time off to care for someone with swine flu. And you might also want to stock up on tissues, disinfectants, and soap or alcohol-based hand sanitizers for work and home.

5. Don't forget to clean up.

Flu viruses can linger on books, toys, countertops, doorknobs, phones, linens, eating utensils, and other objects. Use a household disinfectant, following the directions on the products' label.

The CDC recommends that when you launder linens of someone who has the flu, don’t hug the laundry before washing it, and set the clothes dryer to the hot setting. Wash your hands with soap and water (or use an alcohol-based hand gel) immediately after handling dirty laundry.

6. Don't get complacent.

Don't shrug off swine flu precautions. The H1N1 swine flu virus is still around, and the CDC expects more hospitalizations and more deaths from the swine flu virus.

Here are the CDC's tips for reducing swine flu infection:

Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. Use a tissue or your arm -- not your hands.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

Stay home if you are sick for seven days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours (whichever is longer) to keep from infecting others.

The U.K.'s National Health System notes that when someone sick with flu talks, sneezes, spits, or coughs, infected flu droplets can travel at least 1 meter (about 3.3. feet). The NHS recommends that when you use a tissue, you throw it out after one use.

7. Don't panic.

Swine flu is a pandemic, but so far, it's been a "moderate" pandemic, according to WHO Director Margaret Chan, MD.

That could change. Health officials have said all along that they expect to see a range of severity in swine flu cases, including more hospitalizations and deaths, and they've cautioned that the virus could change and become harsher.

"The overwhelming majority of patients experience mild symptoms and make a fully recovery within a week, often in the absence of any form of medical treatment," Chan said in a speech given in Cancun, Mexico, on July 2 at an international health meeting about H1N1 flu.

Chan noted that pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions are at higher risk for complications. She also pointed out that "for reasons that are poorly understood, some deaths are occurring in perfectly healthy young people," and that some cases quickly become life-threatening.

Chan recommends vigilance, not panic or complacency.

"We cannot be alarmist," Chan said in her Cancun speech. "At the same time, if we are overly reassuring, patients in genuine need of treatment, where rapid emergency care can make a life-and-death difference, may be lulled into waiting too long."

8. Don't leave home if you've got flu-like symptoms.

Those symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue; diarrhea and vomiting may also be symptoms of swine flu.

Unless you're going to get medical care, stay home to avoid infecting others. That means not going to work or school, not running your normal errands, and not traveling. By staying home, you'll help prevent other people from getting sick.

9. Don't rush to the emergency room unless you have certain symptoms.

The CDC urges people to seek emergency medical care for a sick child with any of these symptoms:

* Fast breathing or trouble breathing
* Bluish or gray skin color
* Not drinking enough fluids
* Severe or persistent vomiting
* Not waking up or not interacting
* Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
* Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and cough

And here is the CDC's list of symptoms that should trigger emergency medical care for adults:

* Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
* Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
* Sudden dizziness
* Confusion
* Severe or persistent vomiting
* Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

Having a high fever for more than three days is another danger sign, according to the WHO.

10. If you're a parent, don't forget to teach your kids swine flu prevention.

Children need to do the same things as adults -- stay home when sick, avoid sick people, cough and sneeze into a tissue, and wash their hands.

The CDC recommends teaching kids to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice while washing their hands with soap and water, so that they wash their hands for 20 seconds. Another CDC suggestion: Tell kids to stay at least 6 feet away from people who are sick.

Those pointers also work for grown-ups.

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Swine Flu Sweeping the World

Swine flu sweeping world at 'unprecedented speed': WHO

Swine flu has swept the globe at "unprecedented speed," the World Health Organisation said Friday, as a study warned the pandemic could tip the world into deflation and delay the economic recovery.

The WHO said it would stop giving figures on the numbers infected by the A(H1N1) virus to allow countries to channel resources into close monitoring of unexpected developments and patterns in the spread of the disease.

Argentina, meanwhile, issued a nationwide alert after pigs were confirmed to have the swine flu virus, health authorities said.

"We have detected clinical cases of the A(H1N1) influenza in a pig farm in Buenos Aires province, they have been confirmed by laboratory tests," the national farm and food standards agency said.

In Brazil, the number of deaths from swine flu nearly tripled to 11, including the first person shown to have caught the virus spontaneously within the country.

The increased tally given by Health Minister Jose Gomes late Thursday added seven to the four fatalities previously given.

The WHO said in an information note on its website the influenza pandemic had "spread internationally with unprecedented speed."

"In past pandemics, influenza viruses have needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new H1N1 virus has spread in less than six weeks."

The Geneva-based health agency said the counting of all individual cases was no longer essential to assess the risk from swine flu.

"WHO will continue to request that these countries report the first confirmed cases and, as far as feasible, provide weekly aggregated case numbers and descriptive epidemiology of the early cases," it added.

While it eased its overall reporting requirement, the WHO called on all countries to "closely monitor unusual events," such as possible clusters of severe or fatal infections, or unusual patterns that might be associated with worsening disease.

In Britain, a study by Oxford Economics -- a forecasting consultancy whose clients include multinational corporations and government -- said recovery could be delayed by a couple of years due to the swine flu pandemic.

"Although so far the social and economic impacts have been very small, if infection rates were to rise much further, significant costs could be expected," it said.

Comparing the outbreak to the 2003 SARS crisis, it said that outbreak had occurred at a time of strong economic growth. Both consumption and growth had returned as soon as the epidemic was considered under control.

"This time around, such a sharp rebound is unlikely," it said.

"There is a risk that swine flu tips the United Kingdom and the world economy into deflation. This is because the pandemic would hit at a time when businesses and banks are still reeling from the economic crisis."

On Thursday, England's chief medical officer Liam Donaldson said that in a worst case scenario, around one in three Britons could be infected and 65,000 could die.

The WHO policy shift was partly motivated by the "mildness of symptoms in the overwhelming majority of patients, who usually recover, even without medical treatment, within a week of the onset of symptoms."

In some countries, the investigation and laboratory testing of all cases had absorbed huge resources, leaving health systems with little capacity to monitor severe cases or exceptional events that might mark an increase in the virulence of swine flu.

In the last table released by the WHO on July 6, the health agency had recorded 94,512 laboratory-confirmed cases in 136 countries and territories since April, including 429 deaths.


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Fight for Swine Flu Vaccine Could Get Ugly

An ugly scramble is brewing over the swine flu vaccine, and when it becomes available, Britain, the United States and other nations could find that the contracts they signed with pharmaceutical companies are easily broken.

Experts warn that during a global epidemic, which the world is in now, governments may be under tremendous pressure to protect their own citizens first before allowing companies to ship doses of vaccine out of the country.

That does not bode well for many countries, including the United States, which makes only 20 percent of the flu vaccines it uses, or Britain, where all of its flu vaccines are produced abroad.

"This isn't rocket science," said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. "If there is severe disease, countries will want to hang onto the vaccine for their own citizens."

Experts say politicians would not be able to withstand the pressure.

"The consequences of shipping vaccine to another country when your own people don't have it would be devastating," added David Fedson, a retired vaccine industry executive.

About 70 percent of the world's flu vaccines are made in Europe, and only a handful of countries are self-sufficient in vaccines. The U.S. has limited flu vaccine facilities, and because factories can't be built overnight, there is no quick fix to boost vaccine supplies.

Last week, the World Health Organization reported nearly 95,000 cases of swine flu including 429 deaths worldwide. If swine flu turns deadlier in the winter, the main flu season in the Northern Hemisphere, countries will likely be clamoring for any available vaccines.

"Pandemic vaccine will be a valuable and scarce resource, like oil or food during a famine," said David Fidler, a professor of law at Indiana University who has consulted for WHO. "We've seen how countries behave in those situations, and it's not encouraging."

Britain claims it will start vaccinating people in August, Italy says it will begin by the end of the year, and many other countries have similar strategies. Those mass vaccination plans could be derailed by problems making the vaccine and by other countries' refusal to ship it abroad.

If the virus remains mild, this could all be moot. Experts estimate swine flu to be about as dangerous as seasonal flu, and there usually isn't a high demand for those vaccines. Still, regular flu kills up to 500,000 people a year.

In past pandemics, or global epidemics, vaccines were never exported before the country that produced them got enough for its own population first.

Unlike the last two pandemics in 1957 and 1968, however, many more countries this time around have struck deals with companies which they say guarantees them first access to vaccine. Yet in a global health emergency, those contracts may ultimately be meaningless.

Countries with flu vaccine plants might decide to seize all vaccines and ban their export, thus breaking the pharmaceutical contracts promising other countries vaccine supplies. These private contracts are not binding international law between two countries, according to Fidler.

He said most vaccine contracts include a clause allowing them to be broken under extraordinary circumstances, such as a health emergency. That would leave the countries who had brokered such deals not only without vaccine, but without legal recourse.

"There's nothing in international law that helps you resolve this, it's just a political nightmare happening in the midst of an epidemiological nightmare," Fidler said.

Britain has ordered 60 million doses, enough to cover its entire population. But those doses are being manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Baxter International Inc., whose production plants are in Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. Neither Britain's department of health or the vaccine manufacturers would comment on delivery plans.

Osterholm said about 80 percent of the United States' pandemic vaccine supply will be coming from abroad and he is very concerned about when it might arrive. Timing could be everything to avoid a vaccine spat.

"It's easy to move vaccine around if the disease is relatively mild. But if it is more severe, countries may not be willing to let it go," he said.

So far, swine flu remains a relatively mild disease, and most people don't need medical treatment to get better. But experts fear the virus could mutate into a more dangerous form. And during the flu season, when the virus spreads more easily, more people will probably fall sick and die.

Public health officials are aware that so-called "vaccine wars" might break out if the swine flu outbreak worsens, but are loathe to even discuss the topic.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, an agency of the European Union, said it had no mandate to advise countries in such circumstances. WHO said it was not aware of any countries planning to block the shipment of vaccines and said they would work to ensure all countries get enough doses to protect their health workers.

Questions also remain about when a swine flu vaccine will even be available, as WHO reported this week that a fully licensed vaccine might not be ready until the end of the year.

With little or no safety data about a swine flu vaccine, governments that are planning to roll out mass campaigns are taking a gamble, since any rare side effects won't show up until millions of people start getting the shots.

Experts say government promises about when vaccines will arrive should be taken with a huge grain of salt.

"Many pieces of the puzzle are missing," Osterholm said. "Anyone who pretends to have a well-defined schedule of vaccine delivery is obviously very poorly informed."

By the Associated Press


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Tacloban Mayor's Daughter Has A(H1N1)

A daughter of Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and former sexy actress, now city councilor, Cristina "Kring Kring" Gonzales has tested positive for influenza A(H1N1) virus, a local health officer announced Monday. Dr. Jaime Opinion, city health officer, said the couple's daughter caught the disease from an infected classmate at the Bethel International School in Palo, Leyte. Opinon said the school's classes have been suspended. He asked other students who may have had contact with the mayor's child to go on self-quarantine. The health officer said the mayor's daughter is one of the 24 confirmed A(H1N1) cases in Taclocan City, which has the highest number in Eastern Visayas. He added that there are 50 more people being monitored manifesting flu-like illness. Opinion said the Cirilo Roy Montejo National High School in Taclocan City has already suspended classes after a three students were confirmed positive for the new influenza virus. Other schools in Tacloban City with infected students are the Sto. Niño Sped Center and the Leyte Normal University, he added. Hew said three more schools in the city are being monitored for possible confirmed A(H1N1) cases.

By ABSCBN News


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Philippines Reports 2 More Swine Flu Deaths

The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said two more people died in connection with influenza A (H1N1), but said the two also had underlying medical conditions. In a phone interview with ABS-CBN News, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the DOH operations center reported that the two fatalities were both male--a 19-year-old who had a history of asthma, and a 74-year-old with emphysema who had been frequently hospitalized. The two cases were considered high-risk cases, the DOH said. Last month, a 50 year-old female employee of the House of Representatives became the first known fatality from the A(H1N1) virus in the Philippines. To date, a total of 2,668 cases of A (H1N1) have been reported in the country, including the three deaths. Most of the cases - 52 percent or 1,397 patients - are male. The age range of the patients is from 5 months old to 79 years old. The DOH also said that 95 percent of all cases, or 2,543 patients, have already recovered. Health Secretary Francisco Duque said the DOH no longer releases regular reports, since they are no longer required by the World Health Organization. However, Duque said they are continuing to do containment procedures in areas where there are sporadic cases, until there is a second-generation transmission. In other areas, where there is low-level community transmission, the DOH is doing mitigation strategies.

By ABSCBN News


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SMART Supports DoH vs. H1N1

Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART) is providing communications support to the Department of Health (DoH) and assisting in the dissemination of basic information regarding A (H1N1) to subscribers via Health Watch Hotline 155.

“Now that we’re in the midst of a pandemic with Influenza A(H1N1), we need more venues where the public can have access to accurate and timely information on the disease,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. “With SMART’s technology and assistance, we are also given quick access to information in the field that will help us develop plans and implement initiatives in our fight against the novel virus,” he added.

“SMART has been deploying its mobile technology and communications solutions in aid of government agencies involved in emergency preparedness and disaster response. This time, it’s even more vital considering that we are talking about a global outbreak, and the effects can already be seen nationwide,” said SMART Public Affairs Group Head Ramon R. Isberto.

SMART Health Watch Hotline 155

SMART and Talk ‘N Text subscribers can now get information related to the influenza A/H1N1 virus by simply dialing 155 on their mobile phones. Manned by agents trained by the DoH National Center for Disease Prevention and Control, the SMART Health Watch hotline is operational from 8AM to 5PM, Mondays to Fridays and can be accessed for P6.50 per minute.

Although the hotline initially addresses questions on the A/H1N1 virus, it is envisioned as an information channel on other pressing outbreaks or diseases as determined by the DoH.

Phones and Internet access

SMART also recently turned over 50 phones and 25 SMART Bro Plug-It units to enable DoH Bureau of Quarantine personnel stationed at airports and seaports nationwide to easily send surveillance and monitoring reports to the head office on a daily basis.

“Quarantine medical officers use the phones in sending a daily report to the head office on the daily number of passengers, number of those with fever, number of passengers that displayed symptoms, and the number of passengers referred to referral hospitals,” said Dr. Mavic Vasquez, Chief of the International Health Surveillance Division of the DoH Bureau of Quarantine.

DOH Infoboard

SMART also launched the DoH InfoBoard, a web-based communications service that will enable the DoH to disseminate information to identified publics via SMS broadcast and to use the feedback feature to receive vital information. The DoH Infoboard was initially presented as an internal communications service, to facilitate easy and faster reporting lines within the department, particularly from its field personnel.

By Leyte Samar Daily


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H1N1 Flu Virus Cases in E. Visayas Now 56

In a meeting with World Health Organization (WHO) officials yesterday, DOH regional director Edgardo Gonzaga admitted that there had been a low community level outbreak in the region.

The situation happened in Philippine Science High School Eastern Visayas Campus in Palo, Leyte wherein 39 students were tested positive of the disease. Some of the present 56 cases include pupils in Guiuan, Eastern Samar; returnees from foreign countries; and some that turned positive were contacts of those infected.

All of the positive cases are now treated, according to the health department. (See related stories on page 3.)

“With the spread of the virus, our previous plan is not anymore effective that’s why we have to shift the gear to mitigation to minimize the transmission to down the most vulnerable group,” Gonzaga said.

Looking at the current regional population, Craig Davis, an epidemiologist from the WHO, yesterday projected that the virus could be transmitted up to 1.17 million people in the region, representing 30% of the region’s 3.91 million population.

“There’s an urgent need to accelerate action now to prepare for extensive community- level transmission,” Davis told officials comprising health authorities and heads of various government agencies.

The WHO representative said that local level solutions and locally lead response would be critical in addressing the problem.

If the transmission will turn into severe, Gonzaga said that there would be a problem of accommodating patients in hospitals because of very limited beds offered for Influenza A (H1N1) patients.

The already congested Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center, which is the only referral hospital in the region, has only three beds for confirmed cases and seven beds for cases under observation.

In a report, DOH said that in a medium transmission scenario, at least 1,953 people could be hospitalized due to Influenza A virus which would lead to congestion of exiting facilities.

“We’ve been asking private hospitals to prepare to treat influenza cases by improving facility preparedness,” Gonzaga said.

Gonzaga said that in a worst-case scenario, they are projecting that 79 people from the region will die because of the virus.

By Leyte Samar Daily


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Philippine Pharmaceutical Firms Developing H1N1 Vaccines

4 RP firms developing H1N1 vaccines

Four Philippine pharmaceutical firms in the Philippines are now manufacturing vaccines against the Influenza A(H1N1) virus, the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) said yesterday.

PHAP said that research and development for vaccines against Influenza A(H1N1) has entered the production phase and vaccines might be out before November.

PHAP president Oscar

Aragon noted that four PHAP members are involved in vaccine manufacturing.

These are the GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, Sanofi-Pasteur and Baxter. PHAP is an organization composed of research-based pharmaceutical companies.

“People are working round-the-clock to come up with the vaccines. The development process began when the companies received the ‘seed virus’ from the World Health Organization (WHO) last May. They need that to start the production,” he told The STAR.

The receipt of the virus signals the start of the development process called “passaging” which will eventually yield a “working seed.” Passaging is the process for acclimating the virus to grow in a production environment at optimum yield.

It takes four to six months to produce any influenza vaccine because it will have to undergo the research and development process and the regulatory approval to ensure the safety and efficacy of the new vaccine.

But Aragon claimed that since Novartis and Baxter are using “different technology,” they might have the finished products ahead of time.

He added the companies have been working closely with the WHO, which is monitoring “how the virus behaves or if there is a mutation.”

“Vaccine should be specific to the virus and that is the reason why vaccine production is being done in cooperation with the WHO,” Aragon said.

“As an organization committed to protecting the health and lives of the people, research and development (R&D) to discover breakthrough medicine and prevent this new virus from further spreading is non-stop so that we could lessen the probability of a pandemic,” he added.

But the vaccines would be distributed around the world through the WHO. The GSK will donate some 50 million vaccines while Sanofi-Pasteur will give some 100 million vaccines to the WHO.

“The stocks of vaccines are to be allocated by the WHO. At this point, maybe it’s the Department of Health that’s going to influence the WHO (for the Philippines),” he maintained.

WHO commends DOH chief

Meanwhile, the WHO commended DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III for “his leadership and tireless efforts in responding to this emerging threat to the health of the people of the Philippines.”

In a letter to Duque, WHO director for Western Pacific Dr. Shin Young-soo said the first case of A(H1N1) in the Philippines was “swiftly detected and laboratory confirmation was promptly made at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicines (RITM)” while “contact tracing has also been thorough, allowing the DOH to detect further cases and slow down the spread of the virus.”

“The efficiency of the response indicated to me that the Philippines has the fundamental capacity to detect and respond to the new influenza virus. I should also add that WHO is also confident about the quality of the laboratory diagnoses carried out by RITM and about the epidemiological activities conducted by the National Epidemiology Center,” he maintained.

Shin added that communication between the DOH and the WHO “has been transparent and conducted in accordance with the International Health Regulations (2005).”

Duque announced that the Philippines would adopt the WHO-recommended changes in reporting of A(H1N1).

“The WHO will no longer be issuing global table updates that show the number of confirmed cases for all countries but will instead continue to document the global spread with updates describing the situation in newly affected countries,” Duque said. This means that the DOH will issue updates probably on a weekly basis.

The health chief had reiterated that while the virus has been proven to be mild, the public should not let their guard down. He warned that there are some cases that “become serious” especially if the patients have underlying medical conditions.

“So, again, we are urging the public to be more vigilant in guarding their health against A(H1N1) despite its generally mild clinical manifestations in most of the cases reported in the country,” Duque added.

The DOH said yesterday that 95 percent of the 1,709 cases of Influenza A(H1N1) in the country have already recovered, proving that the virus is “mild in nature.”

Dr. Yolanda Oliveros, director of the DOH’s National Center for Disease Prevention and Control, noted there was also no indication that the virus was mutating.

“According to the WHO, it seems there’s no mutation. It has still the same protein particles, meaning to say if there is resistance (to Oseltamivir), it’s not that much. It could be an isolated case,” she added.

Oliveros said the WHO had instructed countries to monitor “specific resistance” to Oseltamivir.

“So in shifting to mitigation, one of the functions or objectives of getting throat swab (samples) is not only to confirm cases but also to study if there could be some resistance already to Oseltamivir,” she added.

Based on its June 27 update, there were 1,709 cases in the Philippines. A total of 1,568 of them are Filipinos and 235 have history of travel to countries with confirmed cases.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police has recorded its first cases of A(H1N1) in four police recruits in Cordillera, but the PNP leadership has already taken measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

In his report to PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa, Cordillera Police Regional director Chief Superintendent Orlando Pestaño said the four recruits are confined at the St. Louis University Medical Center.

Meanwhile, seven students tested positive for A(H1N1) virus in Los Baños, Laguna, according to Dr. Alvin Isidro, head of the Municipal Health Office. He said they are already implementing measures to contain the spread of the virus.

By PhilStar


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Poor Nations Need More Money for H1N1

Poor nations need $1 bln to combat swine flu says United Nations

Developing countries could need about one billion dollars by the end of the year to fund measures against the swine flu pandemic, especially vaccines, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday.

Asked about his estimate of their needs ahead of a meeting with donor nations on funding for influenza A (H1N1), Ban said: "For the remainder of this year our estimate is that we may need a little over one billion dollars."

Funding had "not been flowing as expected," following appeals in recent weeks, he added.

More resources were needed especially to fund swine flu vaccines for developing nations that could not afford them, he added.

"This pandemic flu is also a sort of a global crisis which needs global response through global partnership and solidarity," said Ban.

WHO Director General Margaret Chan was due to take part in the meeting with representatives of main potential donor nations in Geneva.

Chan said last week that access to a swine flu vaccine remained a "critical question."

A senior official at the UN health agency suggested that obtaining "political goodwill" for support to poor nations was problematic.

Ban noted that a swine flu vaccine was in the pipeline for August and that pharmaceutical companies had made commitments on supply.

Latest figures from the World Health Organisation released Monday showed that swine flu was continuing to spread around the world since first being detected in Mexico and United States last April.

Some 94,512 people have been infected in more than 130 countries and territories, as the virus continues to make inroads in the southern hemisphere during the main flu season.

However, countries such as the United States believe they have had far more untested cases because of its relatively mild symptoms.

US officials have estimated that there have been a million cases in the country.


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World Health Organization Sees H1N1 Not Spreading

WHO sees little Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 flu spread.

WHO says Tamiflu-resistant cases sporadic, not spreading. Not changing recommendations about H1N1 patient treatment

Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 flu does not appear to be spreading in a sustained or worrisome way, a World Health Organisation official said on Tuesday.

"At this point we are not recommending any clinical changes to the approach in treating patients," WHO Acting Assistant Director-General Keiji Fukuda said, responding to the discovery of drug-resistant H1N1 viruses in three people.

"Right now these examples of oseltamivir resistance remain sporadic cases. We do not see any evidence of widespread movement of oseltamivir resistant viruses," he told a briefing, using the generic name for Tamiflu, an anti-viral tablet made by Roche and Gilead Sciences.

The three people whose H1N1 virus samples did not respond to Tamiflu -- in Denmark, Japan and Hong Kong -- have recovered completely from their infection, Fukuda said. He described the Tamiflu-resistant viruses as mutations and not a reassortment or combination with other influenza strains.

So far all discovered Tamiflu-resistant viruses have been sensitive to treatment with the other anti-viral recommended by the WHO, the inhaled drug Relenza made by GlaxoSmithKline under license from Biota, according to Fukuda.

Relenza is known generically as zanamivir.

The WHO, a Geneva-based United Nations agency, raised its global flu alert to the highest level on June 11, declaring the first influenza pandemic since 1968 was underway.

While the H1N1 virus has caused mild flu symptoms in most people, 440 people have died from it and health experts are keeping close watch in case it changes into a more serious form and stops being treatable with existing drugs.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan has said that patients with mild symptoms may not need any medicines to recover, and that hospital visits are not necessary unless those infected with flu have certain warning signs.

These include long-lasting high fever in adults and a lack of alertness in children. Pregnant women and people with health problems including diabetes have also been identified as vulnerable to more severe effects from the new flu strain.

Last month, Chan also said that the H1N1 virus was stable and there were no signs yet it had mixed with other influenza viruses such as the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain.

Signs of mutations in the H1N1 virus are also critically important to vaccine makers who are trying to develop formulas to match the strain that is now spreading around the world, most commonly known as swine flu.

Leading flu vaccine makers include Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Baxter, GlaxoSmithKline and Solvay.

By Business Mirror


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More Money for H1N1

DOH seeks additional P19.6-B budget for H1N1

AS cases of Influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in the country continue to rise, the Department of Health is seeking a supplemental budget of P19.6 billion, the bulk of which will be used to buy vaccines that are expected to be available a few months from now.

At the hearing of the House Committee on Health on Monday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said at least P16 billion is needed for the procurement of vaccines and P3.6 billion for the treatment and confinement of patients found positive with the pandemic influenza.

But Liberal Party Rep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon of Muntinlupa said that the proposed P16-billion budget would be better spent on capability upgrading of Department of Health (DOH) hospitals and laboratories to prepare for the next pandemic, which, he said, “is sure to come.”

“[The] P16 billion will go a long way in serving more of the 90 million Filipinos through upgraded health facilities than the 400,000 people who will be vaccinated,” said Biazon.

Lakas Rep. Eduardo Zialcita of Parañaque proposed that the P19-billion supplemental budget should not be limited to the A(H1N1) flu virus cases but also for other emerging diseases.

Besides the amount, the department is also asking P22 million for personal protective equipment, P150 million for the establishment of Centers for Health Development or regional offices, P21 million for laboratory equipment and P46 million for hospital support and rehabilitation.

Although the virus is being considered a mild strain, still, Duque said early preparation must be done now as the flu may mutate into another type or lead to a second wave of cases from a stronger strain.

This was supported by Dr. Soe Nyunt-Yu, representative of the World Health Organization, who was also present at the hearing. He said while the strain in the country could be considered mild, there is no reason to be complacent since the virus may change if mixed with other diseases.

“I mentioned severe pandemic, it is an overall observation. Almost all countries have cases of A(H1N1) but there are cases with only mild [ones]. No country can say that they are adequately prepared because we are dealing with the unknown,” Soe Nyunt-Yu said.

In the same hearing, Duque reported that as of June 27 the department had recorded 1,709 cases with 86-percent recovery rate and only .06 percent mortality rate.

As for the treatment of the flu virus, Duque said the government has a stockpile of oseltamivir or Tamiflu tablets, given for free to those who exhibit flu-like symptoms. The supply, Duque said, is good for at least 450,000 patients expected to be affected by the virus.

“We will only give these capsules to patients who manifested symptoms; it is safe to give in the next 48 hours but we want to clarify that this is not the cure for A(H1N1),” Duque said.

Last week, in a conference sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in Singapore, Christophe Weber, GSK’s senior vice president and area director, said that with recent studies showing Tamiflu flu resistance to, governments should also have a stockpile of Relenza, with zanamivir as active ingredient, a drug produced by GSK.

“Those countries who have stockpiles of Tamiflu should at least [have a] stockpile also of Relenza so that if resistance [to Tamiflu] occurs, you have a fallback,” Weber told the BusinessMirror in an interview at the sidelines of the event.

Weber gave assurances that Relenza has no reported case of resistance. Tamiflu is made by Roche.

By Business Mirror


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DOH Launches H1N1 Hot Line

Got any questions about H1N1?

Try calling Hotline 155, a help line set up by the Department of Health (DOH) in partnership with Smart Communications, Inc.

Launched on Tuesday, the hot line will be manned by call center agents trained by the DOH to accommodate A(H1N1)- or swine flu-related queries.

The service, however, is available only to Smart, Talk and Text, and Red Mobile subscribers, which means queries can only be made using a cellular phone.

Smart public affairs head Ramon Isberto also clarified that the services are not free and normal rates apply “to screen out prank calls." Isberto said it would consider the suggestion of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III about giving discounted call and text rates for the DOH hot line.

In addition to Hotline 155, Smart subscribers can also reach the DOH via “Text 700-DOH." To use the service type: DOH (space) FEEDBACK (space) question and send to 700364.

Isberto said Hotline 155 is available from Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m, while Text 700DOH functions 24 hours.

He clarified that it is the DOH that would reply to queries via text messaging.

Secretary Duque, meanwhile, reported that the number of A(H1N1) cases in the Philippines has jumped to 473 after 28 more people tested positive for the new strain.

In a press conference, Duque said the new cases included 16 males and 12 females, with ages ranging from seven months to 49 years old.

The good news is that 400 of those infected have recovered, or an 85 percent recovery rate. No additional Influenza A(H1N1)-related death have been recorded in the Philippines, he added.

By GMA News


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H1N1 Health Staff Training

Health staff training, new anti-flu tack.

With the failure of containment, the Department of Health has shifted focus against the A (H1N1) flu virus to mitigation by training as many health-service personnel as possible on the basic handling of the disease.

“As we anticipate more cases in the coming months, we must institute effective mitigation measures to save lives and prevent deaths, and to reduce the impact of the pandemic to our nation and the economy,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday.

Even far-off Mindanao has not been spared as 13 suspected cases have been found with one, a student in Zamboanga City falling ill, six people cleared, with the remaining six still waiting for results of their tests.

President Arroyo has, meanwhile, checked out of the Asian Hospital and Medical Center on Thursday after observing two nights of “self-quarantine” upon arrival from her latest foreign trips. She was pronounced free of the flu.

While the health department lifted the requirement for self-quarantine for travelers arriving from abroad, the President decided on the measure amid criticisms the quarantine lifting may be for the benefit of the Chief Executive, who was then flying in from Hong Kong, her last stop in a swing through Latin and North America.

In other developments, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) urged the labor department to compel large firms employing more than 500 workers to promptly submit their “preparedness plans” in dealing with the spread of the swine flu.

In a statement, TUCP secretary-general and former senator Ernesto Herrera said, “The DOLE [Department of Labor and Employment] has to ensure that business establishments, particularly the labor-intensive ones, are taking adequate preventive measures” since the illness could very well affect economic activities to the disadvantage of workers, businesses and the public alike.

Manila Tops Asean Tally

This developed as the World Health Organization (WHO), in its latest global situation update, reported the Philippines has eclipsed Thailand among countries in Southeast Asia, with confirmed A(H1N1) cases of 861, including one death as of 5 p.m. on June 29.

Closely following the Philippines in the region are Thailand (774 cases, no death); Singapore (599 cases, no death); New Zealand (587 cases, no death); Spain (541 cases, no death); and Israel (469 cases, no death).

The WHO update shows the greatest number are in the United States (27,717 cases, 127 deaths); Mexico (8,279 cases, 116 deaths); Canada (7,775 cases, 21 deaths); Chile (5,186 cases, seven deaths); the United Kingdom (4,250 cases, one death); Australia (4,038 cases, seven deaths); Argentina (1,488 cases, 23 deaths); China (1,442 cases, no death); and Japan (1,212 cases, no death).

In the Zamboanga case, the 9-year-old flu-stricken boy—he is now well—was reported to have had contact with a relative in Manila found positive of A(H1N1) infection.

The boy and the entire family placed themselves on home quarantine from June 22 and were provided antiviral treatment by the Department of Health.

Meanwhile, the health department is intensifying its information drive on swine flu and Duque said, “We have also requested the NDDC member agencies, especially DepEd, CHED and Tesda and PIA to help us in our nationwide campaign against A [H1N1]. This is to make sure that our information and education activities reach all schools, barangays and provinces in the country.”

The DOH have not yet recommend the public to use face masks or any personal protective equipment, but several companies manufacturing face masks have been taking advantage of the fear and are offering such protective gear.

Health experts warned, however, that not all face masks are effective and the only ones capable of preventing infection are the N95 class face masks and those treated with antipathogen solutions.

The experts said that the best protection is not to frequent crowded places and boost one’s immune system by adequate rest, hydration, fresh air, balanced diet, and moderate exercise.

MedTecs International Corp. Ltd. vice president Earl Montero said they are manufacturing an “all-Filipino” made face masks (N95 and 3-ply N88), isolation gowns, shoe covers and bouffant hats. (With M. Gonzalez, S. Fabunan, B. Garcia, Jr.)


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