Open Your Eyes News » influenza

Netherlands destroying 17 million swine flu vaccine doses

biochemist — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:26:39 +0000

AFP — The Netherlands is destroying more than 17 million unused doses of swine flu vaccine that were nearing their expiry date and that it could not resell, the health ministry said Tuesday. “We have started destroying” the vaccines, health ministry spokeswoman Inge Freriksen told AFP. “In the coming months, 17.8 million doses will be destroyed because the expiry date is approaching.” Read article

Flu vaccine probe followed US

biochemist — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 16:00:54 +0000

The Australian – AUSTRALIA’s drug regulator waited until US authorities blew the whistle on CSL vaccine production before launching its own investigation. The Therapeutic Goods Administration yesterday said it discovered discolouration of the nation’s stockpile of swine flu vaccine only after the US Food and Drug Administration alerted it in April. A TGA spokeswoman said the remaining 9.4 million doses of Panvax in the federal government stockpile did not pose a safety risk. Read article

US: Millions of vaccine doses to be burned

biochemist — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 10:00:43 +0000

AP — About a quarter of the swine flu vaccine produced for the U.S. public has expired — meaning that a whopping 40 million doses worth about $260 million are being written off as trash. “It’s a lot, by historical standards,” said Jerry Weir, who oversees vaccine research and review for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The outdated vaccine, some of which expired Wednesday, will be incinerated. The amount, as much as four times the usual leftover seasonal flu vaccine, likely sets a record. And that’s not even all of it. Read article

Swine flu risk ‘was vastly over-rated’ by World Health Organisation

biochemist — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:00:06 +0000

Daily Mail – Threats of a swine flu pandemic were ‘vastly over-rated’ by the World Health Organisation, an inquiry has concluded. The Council of Europe last night also accused the UN’s health arm of ‘grave shortcomings’ in the process that led it to declare a pandemic last year. Plummeting confidence in health advice could prove ‘disastrous’ in the event of a severe future pandemic, parliamentarians at the Strasbourg-based senate said. Read Article

Vit D may help reduce severity of influenza

biochemist — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 08:02:36 +0000

The Times of India – A new study has found that vitamin D may help in reducing the occurrence and severity of influenza and viral respiratory tract infections. Read Article
Related article: Epidemic Influenza And Vitamin D

Hong Kong to dump 2.8 mn doses of swine flu vaccine

biochemist — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 13:00:00 +0000

The Economic Times – HONG KONG: Around 2.8 million doses of unwanted swine flu vaccine worth $28.2 million are to be thrown away, officials said on Thursday. The vaccines are part of a batch of three million ordered at the height of the pandemic when it was feared the H1N1 virus was a serious threat and could mutate into a more deadly form. Read article

New British Medical Journal Report Questions Legitimacy of H1N1 Pandemic

biochemist — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 13:27:17 +0000

FoxCharlotte – This Friday will mark the one year anniversary of the start of the H1N1 pandemic. But a new joint report from the British Medical Journal and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism questions the pandemic and alleged conflicts of interest between confidential World Health Organization advisors and their reported financial ties to pharmaceutical companies producing the vaccines. Here in Charlotte [North Carolina], people are torn on whether the pandemic was all hype… Read Article

Report condemns swine flu experts’ ties to big pharma

biochemist — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 19:00:30 +0000

The Guardian – Scientists who drew up the key World Health Organisation guidelines advising governments to stockpile drugs in the event of a flu pandemic had previously been paid by drug companies which stood to profit, according to a report out today. An investigation by the British Medical Journal and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, the not-for-profit reporting unit, shows that WHO guidance issued in 2004 was authored by three scientists who had previously received payment for other work from Roche, which makes Tamiflu, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), manufacturer of Relenza. Read Article

U.S. has 71 million unused flu vaccine doses

biochemist — Thu, 06 May 2010 10:49:40 +0000

Reuters – The United States still has 71 million doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine that have not been used, but it is not yet time to throw them out, the federal government said on Monday. States and other providers should hang on to the vaccine and continue to offer them to people until drug companies can start distributing seasonal vaccine for the coming influenza season in the autumn, said Health and Human Services Department spokesman Bill Hall. Read Article

Australia: Parents recount flu jab nightmare

biochemist — Sat, 01 May 2010 01:00:02 +0000

ABC – More and more parents from around the country are recounting horrific flu jab experiences amid mounting controversy over adverse reactions to the seasonal flu vaccine. Australia’s chief medical officer, Professor Jim Bishop, has urged doctors not to use the vaccine on children under five, following more than 250 reports of adverse reactions – a figure experts and parents fear is being severely underestimated. Read article

GlaxoSmithKline profits climb on healthy sales of swine flu vaccine

biochemist — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 07:15:54 +0000

Daily Telegraph – GlaxoSmithKline profits increased 16pc in the first quarter, driven by better-than expected swine flu vaccine sales. Pre-tax profits climbed to Â£1.93bn in the first three months of the year as turnover jumped 13pc to Â£7.36bn, the pharmaceuticals group said on Wednesday. Read article

Little girl died in cot after flu jab

biochemist — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 07:10:30 +0000

The Australian – THE bereaved father of a toddler who died within a day of receiving the seasonal flu vaccine said last night that he could not believe this was coincidental. David Epapara spoke out after the Queensland Coroner was called in to investigate the little girl’s death, which has intensified concern at the risk of side effects from the vaccine to children under five. Read article

Experts urge calm as flu jab reactions spread

biochemist — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 10:21:31 +0000

ABC – A national pattern is emerging on the adverse reactions associated with flu vaccinations given to young children. In Western Australia the number of reactions has risen beyond 250 cases and a leading medical group is questioning the wisdom of continuing a mass flu vaccination program for children under five. But a leading vaccination expert says it is too early in the investigation to decide anything. Read Article

Australia: Parents hammer hotline as 250 adverse flu jab reactions reported

biochemist — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:00:17 +0000

The Australian – Australia’s adverse events hotline says its phones are “running hot” with calls from parents, and the scare has spread to New Zealand, with the Health Ministry saying it had recorded at least three cases of febrile convulsions following vaccination. In Western Australia, where a potential spike in cases was first spotted, the number of children under five who have suffered fevers after being immunised has now risen to 251, The Australian reports. Read Article

Flu vaccine records defended by chief

biochemist — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:00:33 +0000

Sydney Morning Herald – Australia’s chief medical officer has defended the safety record of flu vaccinations, as he struggles to determine how many children have suffered bad reactions. Professor Jim Bishop last week suspended seasonal flu shots for children under five. He acted after dozens of babies and young children, mostly in Western Australia and Queensland, were admitted to hospital, many with high fevers and convulsions. Read Article

H1N1 vaccine study investigating hints of complications from vaccine

biochemist — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 13:00:32 +0000

Washington Post – Federal health officials are investigating the first hints of any possible significant complications from the H1N1 vaccine, but stressed that the concerns will probably turn out to be a false alarm. The latest analysis of data has detected what could be a somewhat elevated rate of Guillain-BarrÃ© syndrome, which can cause paralysis and death; Bell’s palsy, a temporary facial paralysis; and thrombocytopenia, which is a low level of blood platelets, officials reported Friday. The data is being collected through five of the networks the government is using to monitor people who were inoculated against the swine flu. Read Article

Brisbane toddler dies after receiving flu jab

biochemist — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 13:46:10 +0000

Brisbane Times – The sudden death of a Brisbane toddler has been linked to the seasonal flu vaccine, as health authorities warn against immunising children under five. The two-year-old girl, a twin, died on April 9 at her Upper Mt Gravatt home. She had received the vaccine 12 hours earlier, it was reported. Read Article

Govt suspends flu injections after major health scare

biochemist — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 17:00:32 +0000

The West Australian – The State Government has urgently suspended its flu vaccine program for children aged under five, after a large number of children presented to Princess Margaret Hospital within hours of having their injections. Health Minister Kim Hames said 22 otherwise healthy children had suffered reactions ranging from fever to febrile convulsions within 12 hours of having the vaccine but it was still unclear if the vaccine was the cause. At least one child is understood to be seriously ill. Read article

Reconstruction of a Mass Hysteria: The Swine Flu Panic of 2009

biochemist — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 22:00:25 +0000

Spiegel – Swine flu kept the world in suspense for almost a year. A massive vaccination campaign was mounted to put a stop to the anticipated pandemic. But, as it turned out, it was a relatively harmless strain of the flu virus. How, and why, did the world overreact? A reconstruction. By SPIEGEL staff. Read Article

WHO flu experts reject charges of business influence in pandemic

biochemist — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 07:00:39 +0000

The Independent – Leading experts involved in the World Health Organisation’s decision to declare a flu pandemic on Wednesday rejected accusations of undue influence from the pharmaceutical industry. The heads of panels of scientists advising the agency on vaccines and the alert said “meticulous care” was taken to avoid conflicts of interest and to keep a distance from industry as far as possible. Read Article

We blundered over swine flu, admit health chiefs

notizio — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:38:46 +0000

Dailymail – Global health chiefs have finally admitted that they may have overreacted to the swine flu ‘pandemic’ – landing governments with millions of unused vaccines. The World Health Organisation has conceded that it may have been guilty of failing to communicate ‘uncertainties’ about how virulent the new virus was – Read Article

Did ‘Regular’ Flu Shot Up Risks for H1N1 Flu?

biochemist — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 13:00:39 +0000

HealthDay – Those who got seasonal vaccine were at higher risk, study found, but that shouldn’t affect immunization next season
The traditional seasonal flu vaccine may have increased the risk of infection with pandemic H1N1 swine flu, according to the results of four new studies by Canadian researchers. Read Article

Millions of H1N1 vaccine doses may have to be discarded

biochemist — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 22:39:19 +0000

Washington Post – Despite months of dire warnings and millions in taxpayer dollars, less than half of the 229 million doses of H1N1 vaccine the government bought to fight the pandemic have been administered — leaving an estimated 71.5 million doses that must be discarded if they are not used before they expire. Between 81 million and 91 million doses of swine flu vaccine were injected into peoples’ arms or squirted up their noses through the end of February, according to federal officials, leaving about 138 million doses unused. An estimated 60 million of those will be donated to poor countries or saved for possible future use. But doses already in vials and syringes will be thrown away if not used before their expiration dates pass. Read article

WHO accused of losing public confidence over flu pandemic

biochemist — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:00:07 +0000

The Guardian – The World Health Organisation and other public health bodies have “gambled away” public confidence by overstating the dangers of the flu pandemic, according to a draft report to the Council of Europe. The report, by the Labour MP Paul Flynn, vice chair of the council’s health committee, says that a loss of credibility could endanger lives. Read Article

Swine flu less lethal than feared

biochemist — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:00:13 +0000

BBC – The swine flu pandemic is “considerably less lethal” than feared, chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson says. A study led by Sir Liam found a death rate of just 0.026% in those infected, the British Medical Journal reported. Read Article