Hong Kong swine flu precautions: chief executive

HONG KONG — Hong Kong's chief executive said Monday authorities would take no chance in dealing with swine flu despite accusations of over-reacting since its first confirmed case was reported in May.

"We have taken every precaution to prevent the spread of the virus," the city's chief executive, Donald Tsang, said at the opening ceremony of the World Health Organization's annual Western Pacific meeting here.

"In some cases we have even been accused of over-reacting," he said, adding: "Following our relatively recent experiences with Avian Influenza and SARS, the government has not, and will not take any chances."

The 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) killed almost 300 people in the city.

Hong Kong was also the scene of the world's first reported major H5N1 bird flu outbreak among humans, in 1997, when six people died.

The city's hygiene campaign was ramped up when swine flu reached Asia, most notably when an entire hotel was locked down for a week in May with hundreds of guests inside after a Mexican guest was found to be infected with the virus.

In the few weeks following the hotel closure, Hong Kong saw a frenetic scramble for face masks at pharmacies and supermarkets.

The city's inhabitants frequently wear face masks in public and the government has run an extensive public information campaign on personal hygiene.

The government was criticised for over-reacting at the time.

With schools re-opening after the summer holidays in recent weeks, the virus has spread among children, forcing some schools to close again temporarily.

However, the authorities' vigilance seems to have paid dividends with only 13 people dying so far of the disease in Hong Kong, out of the total number of 22,054 confirmed cases as of Sunday.

The Department of Health has said the number of fatalities was only 0.07 percent of overall cases -- far lower than the global average of 0.6 percent.

P.S., Boost your immune system. Know more about Vitamin C Benefits.

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New swine flu wave hits Mexico, closings unlikely

Looks like the dreaded Swine Flu is here to stay. The next wave of swine flu has arrived, and Mexicans are bracing for an outbreak that may be even larger than the one here last spring that became a pandemic.

Daily diagnoses reached higher levels in September than the H1N1 peak in April, with 483 new cases in just one day this month alone.

It's unlikely there will be large-scale closings of schools and stadiums, however, because health officials know the virus is usually mild if treated early.

"We know the situation is not as serious" as officials feared last spring, said Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova.

Still, 3,000 schools across Mexico were closed earlier this week as a result of the virus. That number has dropped to 128, Education Secretary Alonso Lujambio told senators Wednesday, as he said officials are still developing the criteria they will use to shut down schools in the future.

When the first cases of swine flu were confirmed in late April, Mexico's government immediately ordered the closure of all schools, museums, libraries and theaters in the capital. Within days, schools nationwide, restaurant dining rooms and other businesses shut down, streets mostly emptied and soldiers handed out millions of face masks.

Mexico could see up to 5 million cases of swine flu during this winter's flu season and deaths could reach 2,000, Cordova said.

Some hospitals already have the same number of swine flu patients as they had in April, he said Thursday. Officials are negotiating with laboratories to secure doses of a vaccine by October, he added.

Mexico had 29,417 reported cases and 226 deaths as of Friday.

The World Health Organization says more than 300,000 cases of H1N1 have been confirmed throughout the world, and more than 3,900 people have died from the virus.

P.S. Boost your immune system with Vitamin C rich foods and fruits.

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U.S.: Oct flu vaccination to be "a little bumpy"

A top U.S. health official says the first weeks of October are going to be "a little bumpy" as the government distributes the supply the swine flu vaccine ready next week, knowing it will not be enough.

Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Friday his agency faced a dilemma because most of the U.S. H1N1 vaccine will be unavailable until mid- to late October.

"The choice was having vaccine stack up in a warehouse ... or getting it out as soon as it became available. We feel the only right answer is to get it out as rapidly as possible," Frieden told reporters in a telephone briefing.

But that move will add to the strain on state and local health departments that likely will have to turn people away.

"It's going to be a little bumpy," said Frieden.

The U.S. government said this week it will have 6 million to 7 million doses of swine flu vaccine ready next week, and another 40 million does by mid- to late October.

Production was expected to continue at a rate of 10 million to 20 million doses per week to a total of more than 250 million by year end.

Most of the vaccine that will be ready early will be the nasal spray vaccine made by AstraZeneca's MedImmune unit. It is approved for people aged 2-49, but is not recommended for people with certain underlying health problems, who have a higher risk of becoming severely ill if infected with the flu.


'BATCH BY BATCH'

The United States has ordered vaccine from five companies -- MedImmune, Sanofi-Aventis, Australia's CSL, GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis.

Frieden said the problem arose from working with different manufacturers. "It doesn't come out in one big drop. It comes out batch by batch," he said.

Frieden said vaccine was the best tool for fighting swine flu, which was declared a pandemic in June and is spreading widely in most of the United States.

Frieden urged Americans not to underestimate influenza, noting that many people mix up flu with mild respiratory viruses.

"Flu makes you pretty sick. You feel bad. If you've got an underlying health problem or you are unlucky, you can get very sick. You need to take the flu seriously," Frieden said.

Frieden addressed concerns about an unpublished study reported by Canadian media suggesting that people in Canada who were vaccinated against seasonal flu last spring had double the risk of becoming infected with pandemic H1N1 flu.

Frieden said the CDC has analyzed data from New York and other parts of the United States and data from Australia.

"Nothing we've seen suggest that is likely to be a problem," he said. "If there is preliminary data, we'd like to see it."


P.S., Boost your immune system. Read more about Vitamin C Benefits.



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Objections over swine flu vaccine

THE OBJECTIONS

Some are suspicious of the new vaccine because the government's swine flu vaccine in 1976 caused some people to contract Guillain-Barré syndrome, a sometimes deadly nervous-system disorder. (They are different vaccines based on two different viruses).

Others see this as an issue of workers' rights, that the government should not be allowed to require vaccinations.

SHUNNING THE VACCINE

Several groups are opposed to vaccination of any kind, often citing philosophical reasons. Here is a look at some of the vaccine objectors.

Some health care workers are opposed to mandatory vaccination, but not to all vaccines.

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders have long objected to vaccinations, based on the widely disputed notion that autism-related conditions are caused by vaccines and vaccine additives.

People with allergies to eggs oppose flu shots because eggs are used in vaccine production.

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Flu Can Raise Chances of Heart Attack

People suffering from the flu may be at higher risk for having a heart attack, especially those with heart disease and diabetes, British researchers report.

Because both seasonal and the pandemic H1N1 swine flu are circulating this fall and winter, people at risk for heart attacks are urged to get a seasonal flu shot and an H1N1 flu shot, which may reduce the chance of getting the flu and thereby lower the risk for a heart attack, experts say.

"Influenza is most concerning because of its secondary complications," said Dr. Marc Siegel, an associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine in New York City.

"Most of the time with influenza, death or hospitalization isn't because of the influenza, it's because influenza puts you in a weakened state -- it's a stress on the system," he said. "So, it is not surprising that you would have the increased risk of a myocardial infarction during or right after an influenza infection."

In addition, the flu virus may have a negative effect directly on the heart, Siegel said. "Flu stresses and strains the system," he added.

To determine the risk of heart attack among those with flu, a research team led by Andrew C. Hayward, a senior lecturer in infectious disease epidemiology at the UCL Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology in London, looked at 39 studies conducted between 1932 and 2008.

The studies showed an increase in deaths from heart disease and more heart attacks during flu season. In fact, excess deaths because of heart disease averaged 35 percent to 50 percent, according to the report in the October issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

But the studies also showed that getting a flu shot reduced the risk of dying from heart disease or suffering a heart attack, Hayward's group found.

"We believe influenza vaccination should be encouraged wherever indicated, especially in those people with existing cardiovascular disease. Further evidence is needed on the effectiveness of influenza vaccines to reduce the risk of cardiac events in people without established vascular disease," Hayward's team concluded.

Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, agreed that flu shots appear to reduce the risk of heart attacks.

"It has long been hypothesized that influenza infection results in an acute inflammatory response that can also trigger the onset of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke in vulnerable individuals," Fonarow said.

A number of observational studies have suggested more cardiovascular events occur in patients with influenza than otherwise expected and that individuals who receive annual flu shots are much less likely to have fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular events or be hospitalized for heart failure, he said.

"Guidelines from the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology strongly recommend that all individuals with cardiovascular disease receive annual influenza vaccination," Fonarow said.

However, Dr. Pascal James Imperato, dean and distinguished service professor at the School of Public Health at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, said the role of flu shots in preventing heart attack has not been proven conclusively.

"The role of severe respiratory infections in precipitating myocardial infarctions in vulnerable individuals is well-established," Imperato said. "However, the role of influenza vaccines in protecting such individuals is less clear from the limited scientific evidence available."

6 ways to protect your child from swine flu

As swine flu continues to infect school kids, parental anxieties have stirred up with each one trying to be cautious enough to avoid the spread

protect your child from swine flu (Getty Images)

of HINI virus that has caused severe illness and deaths worldwide.

Dr Galit Holzmann-Pazgal assistant professor of pediatrics at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston suggest parents can ease their anxieties by arming themselves with facts about H1N1 and using some commonsense tips.

* Wash your hands after you touch...and Twitter

Washing your hands is the single-most important step to prevent the spread of H1N1. The virus is spread by droplets from coughs and sneezes as well as touching hands and objects contaminated with these droplets such as each other''s phones, computer keyboards, iPods and video games.

* Know the symptoms

Main symptoms of swine flu are fatigue and fever. Others include body aches, runny or stuffy nose, cough, sore throat and fever, headache, chills, diarrhea and vomiting

* Know when it is an emergency

Call your doctor if your child has symptoms including rapid breathing, not drinking enough, fussiness or if symptoms improve and then return with fever and worsened cough.


* With mild cases, call your doctor first

If your child just feels lousy, and doesn''t have a high fever or trouble breathing, call your pediatrician instead of heading to the hospital.

* Keep the kids home

Keep your sick child at home for at least 24 hours after his fever is gone (without the use of a fever-reducing medicine) except to get medical care or for other necessities, according to the CDC.

Encourage her to cover her mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, throw away used tissue in the waste basket, and to clean her hands every time she coughs or sneezes.

* Start the vaccinations

Federal officials expect release of the H1N1 vaccine in October. The vaccine may require a second shot given three weeks after the first. It may take another two weeks before the vaccine fully protects the body against the flu. Recent studies showed that one shot may protect against H1N1, stretching the supply of the vaccine.

Until the H1N1 shot is ready, Pazgal advises families to go ahead and get the "regular" flu shot, which protects against the seasonal flu and is already available. That way, your children won''t get the flu twice in one season.


P.S., Know more about benefits of Vitamin C to increase resistance to Flu diseases.



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Swine flu in poor nations a WHO priority

Top of the agenda for the World Health Organisation's Western Pacific meeting this week will be how to combat the swine flu pandemic in developing nations.

There are growing fears that poorer countries will not get enough vaccines, despite a pledge last week by the United States and eight other nations to make 10 per cent of their swine flu vaccine supply available to others in need.

"The developing world will have no access to vaccines for the time being. There are some donations but it is not enough," said Lo Wing-lok, a member of Hong Kong's government scientific committee on emerging diseases.

"It is very much a matter of equity and the WHO must look at any way to address this."

Developing countries such as the Philippines are not only unable to produce the vaccine for the A(H1N1) flu virus but their people are more vulnerable to infection because of poverty, crowded living conditions and lack of health care.

While the Americas still has the highest death toll from the virus, cases are expected to increase as the northern hemisphere enters winter.

In the Western Pacific there are about a million people living in poor conditions without access to health care, making them particularly vulnerable, WHO regional director Shin Young-soo told reporters on Sunday, a day ahead of the start of the organisation's meetings in Hong Kong.

"Hopefully many countries including China and the United States are soon going to vaccinate their own people but that is not the case for many developing countries and it is something we are worried about," he said.

The WHO and the United Nations are working on raising a billion dollars to help buy vaccines for countries that need help, he added.

Shin said some experts estimate that 20 to 30 per cent of the Western Pacific region will eventually be affected by the virus.

So far Australia has the highest swine flu death toll in the region, with about 171 deaths, according to the WHO.

The organisation warned on Friday that production of vaccines will fall substantially short of the amount needed to protect the global population.

It put the number of deaths worldwide from the virus at 3,486, up 281 from the previous week.

Despite new evidence that only one dose of the vaccines being tested will be enough for most people, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said output next year will be "substantially less" than the 4.9 billion doses annual production forecast.

The United States, Australia, Brazil, Britain, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland have said they will make donations to nations without vaccines.

China is also at the forefront of international efforts to produce a vaccine with at least five companies already receiving government approval, but officials there have also warned demand will exceed supply.

Shin downplayed concerns about the safety of Chinese vaccinations.

China's state news agency Xinhua reported last week that some epidemic disease experts were worried that the vaccines' reliability had yet to be proved because of a faster than usual clinical trial period.

"Licensing procedures are tough and vigorous and we are not compromising on safety or quality in our controls although of course there are some worries about side-effects," Shin said.

He also defended Beijing's record on informing the WHO of developments.

Last week the Chinese health ministry reported a jump in the number of cases to 10,221 from 3,103 in mid-August but no deaths have yet been reported.

"China is a very big country. It is possible that information does not always pass up the line to Beijing but the Chinese government has been very transparent on the issue (of swine flu)," Shin said.

P.S., Boost your immunity against swine Flu. (read here)

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Flu protection with these top ten immune boosting foods

Swine Flu protection starts to take front and center for adults and kids alike. Being sure that the whole family is getting a healthy dose of immune boosting foods can mean the difference between a miserable fall and winter or a happy and healthy one.


Feeding kids healthy foods can feel like an uphill battle sometimes, but it is not impossible. And it is actually really quite doable. It just takes a little ingenuity, creativity and good modeling. Getting the kids involved in the shopping, prepping and planning can go a long way towards their enthusiasm.



Try incorporating these top ten immune boosting foods into the family meals.

Garlic & Onions – They may not be a favorite, but adding these potent foods into meals in small amounts can keep everyone healthy.


Cruciferous Vegetables - including broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, are good sources of betacarotene and help protect against free-radical damage. They also contain vitamin C and calcium. Try offering them with a dip of agave nectar and almond butter.


Green Leafy Veggies - also contain beta carotene, the precursor to vitamin A, vitamin C and calcium. For kids try them in a green smoothie to mask the “green” flavor.


Orange Vegetables - like sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin and winter squash are a good source of vitamin A


California Avocados - are rich in vitamin A and potassium and also contain folic acid and magnesium.


Shitake and Maitake Mushrooms - increase the body’s production of white blood cells, which are part of the immune system. Try a small amount in miso soup.


Papaya & Mango - Slice up a papaya or mango for dessert. Add to a green smoothie for yummy tropical sweetness.


Bell Peppers - Red, yellow, and orange peppers have about twice the vitamin C of green peppers.


Jicama - provides as much vitamin C as brocolli. Just peel and cut into “fries” for dipping into guacamole, salsa, nut butter or even natural ketchup.


Kiwi & Orange - the fuzzy little brown fruit with the deep green interior, make a great “fun” food. Pair with orange for a super dose of vitamin C.


For picky eaters, a good tasting green food powder may be just the ticket. Eating an abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits is definitely the ticket to flu protection for the whole family.



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U.S. to Donate 10 Percent of Swine Flu Vaccine to WHO

The United States plans to donate 10 percent of its supply of pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine to the World Health Organization for use in low-income countries.

The nation has on order 195 million doses of the swine flu vaccine, which is due to start arriving early next month. The White House said it "is taking this action in concert" with eight other countries.

The White House released no details about the program, such as timetables and total amounts of vaccine to be donated. Officials at the Geneva-based WHO did not respond to phone and e-mail inquiries.

The other countries making donations are Australia, Brazil, Britain, France, Italy, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland.

Earlier this summer, two vaccine manufacturers, Sanofi Aventis and GlaxoSmithKline, said they would donate 150 million doses of pandemic vaccine to WHO. Global production, by about 20 makers in all, is projected to be 2 billion to 4 billion doses over a year.

The number of people who could be protected is uncertain. The first tests of the pandemic vaccine showed that adults will need only one shot, not two as some experts predicted. Children, however, are likely to need two.

"The United States recognizes that just as this challenge transcends borders, so must our response. We invite other nations to join in this urgent global effort," the White House said.

The statement noted as well that "we remain confident that the United States will have sufficient doses of the vaccine to ensure that every American who wants a vaccine is able to receive one."

WHO officials have grappled all summer with how to prevent virtually all the supply of vaccine and antiviral drugs from going to rich countries, leaving poor countries unprotected.

"Improving access to vaccine is the central global issue at this time," Keiji Fukuda, WHO's assistant director general, told epidemiologists and influenza researchers in Washington this week. They were meeting at the Institute of Medicine to discuss events of the first five months of the pandemic.

Negotiations between WHO, the United Nations, vaccine manufacturers and wealthy countries that have standing orders for an essentially limitless supply of pandemic flu vaccine have been "slow and time-consuming," Fukuda said.

Without them "the least developed countries are not really going to have a chance of getting the vaccine." But he acknowledged that "nobody expects the numbers to work out in this pandemic."

Fukuda said that "prolonged ad hoc negotiations" like the ones this summer would be unrealistic in a pandemic more severe than this one.

In 2007, when researchers complained that Indonesia was not making samples of H5N1 "bird flu" available for study, WHO convened intergovernmental negotiations to try to reach an agreement for sharing both virus samples and the benefits that might result from them, such as vaccines. The negotiations ended this year without a full agreement.


P.S. boost your immune system thru Vitamin C nutrition.



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Swine flu's tendency to strike the young is causing confusion

As health officials brace for a new onslaught of illness from the novel H1N1 virus, they remain perplexed by one of the most unusual and unsettling patterns to emerge from this pandemic -- the tendency of the so-called swine flu to strike younger, healthier people.

The initial explanation was that the elderly, who are usually most vulnerable to the flu, have built-in immunity as a result of their exposure more than 50 years ago to ancestors of today's pandemic strain. But the limits of the theory are becoming more clear. For starters, only a third actually have antibodies to the new H1N1.

"It doesn't quite look as though it's the whole story," said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville.

Further, the flu's two key genes came directly from pigs and are new to everyone. That means all age groups should be equally vulnerable since no one has encountered the genes before. Yet infants seem to be in less danger than older children and most adults.

Unraveling these mysteries will be crucial to designing a strong defense against this tenacious virus. Tests in animals strongly suggest that H1N1 will be with us for the foreseeable future, supplanting the strains that cause seasonal flu within a year or two.

Understanding the virus' inner workings will also help scientists prepare for future influenza pandemics.

H1N1's unorthodox nature became apparent as soon as the virus burst onto the scene in early spring: Most of the earliest cases in the U.S. and Mexico occurred in children rather than the elderly.

In the U.S., half of the people with confirmed H1N1 cases have been 12 or younger, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Until July 24, when the CDC stopped counting new cases, 60% of patients whose ages were known were between 5 and 24 years old. An additional 20% were in the 25-to-49 age group. Only 1% of those sickened had reached the age of 65.

Younger people also appear to be getting the most severe cases of pandemic flu. The median age of patients requiring hospitalization is 20, according to the CDC. In fatal cases, the median age is 37.

Those figures are in stark contrast to the seasonal flu, which is most likely to sicken people who are elderly, very young or chronically ill. More than 90% of fatal cases involve senior citizens.

H1N1's link to 1918

Scientists had theorized that the new H1N1 swine flu descended from the 1918 Spanish flu, an H1N1 strain that killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide. Older people who had been exposed to that virus must have built up immunity that protected them against the new pandemic strain.

But an analysis published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine found H1N1 antibodies in blood samples from only 39 of 115 people born before 1950, a rate of 34%. The results supported a similar analysis released in May.

Over the summer, researchers who tested blood samples from Japan found that few people born after 1918 had antibodies that protected them against the new H1N1. But most of the people over the age of 90 did.

That suggests immunity came only from the initial versions of Spanish flu, not from the myriad offshoots to which most elderly people were exposed. For them, protection came from something else.

"Other components of the immune response no doubt also contribute to reduce disease," said Jacqueline Katz, chief of immunology and pathogenesis in the CDC's Influenza Division. But she said that scientists didn't know what those might be.

Then there's the matter of the key H and N genes in the new H1N1 virus. Although they have much in common with the corresponding genes from the 1918 strains, both came directly from pigs. No one should have immunity.

Baffled by fatalities

It may turn out that prior experience with H1N1 has very little effect on who will wind up with the most severe cases of swine flu.

Consider this alternative explanation for the unusually young age of H1N1 victims from Dr. Peter Wenger, a professor of preventive medicine and community health at New Jersey Medical School in Newark: Perhaps their more vigorous immune systems are simply mounting stronger challenges to the flu virus.

If bodies overreact and release too many infection-fighting proteins called cytokines, the resulting "cytokine storm" can cause severe inflammation that overwhelms the lungs and respiratory tract. In extreme cases, the reaction can be fatal.

Many scientists have speculated that this kind of calamitous immune response may have been at work in 1918. But the theory is difficult to test.

"The immune system is such a finely modulated system," he said. "When you start pulling out cells and putting them in test tubes, it gives you some idea, but is it really what happened?"

Though the overall H1N1 fatality rate remained low over the summer during the Southern Hemisphere's flu season, deaths continued to be concentrated among middle-aged adults.

For example, in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, half of the 48 deaths were in people in their 40s and 50s, according to figures from the government's health department.

Though children and young adults have higher rates of H1N1 infection, the fatal cases are more likely to involve middle-aged adults because they have higher rates of the underlying medical conditions that make H1N1 deadly, such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease, said CDC spokeswoman Artealia Gilliard.

Dr. Harry Greenberg, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine, said he was puzzled about why H1N1 had caused relatively few deaths in infants and young children considering that they lack the antibodies that appear to be protecting the elderly.

"I don't have a good explanation to totally account for this," he said, "except to say it's early in the data-gathering business."


P.S. boost your immune system by eating vitamin C fruits and foods now.



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Is swine flu really a big deal?

With news of swine flu, or H1N1, outbreaks sweeping the nation and a case of the disease on campus, College of William and Mary students may be wondering how to fight off the flu as well as asking themselves if the vaccine is really worth it. Let’s look at the facts:

Cumulative reported cases in universities in proximity to William and Mary, according to WDBJ 7 news:

University of Maryland: 435
University of Virginia: 119
Virginia Tech: 85 with flu-like symptoms, 17 confirmed cases
University of Richmond: 68
Virginia Commonwealth University: 4
University of Mary Washington: 1
Roanoke College: 4
Washington and Lee University: 9
Liberty University: up to 150
James Madison University: none
Virginia Military Institute: none

William and Mary’s reported cases: 1 (There were three cases this summer with summer camp counselors and a camper.)

Symptoms of H1N1: Just like any other flu, those with H1N1 may experience a fever, sore throat, cough, congestion, headache, fatigue, night/day chills, body aches, vomiting, and/or diarrhea.

Pros and cons of the flu shot: The flu shot has been offered in the past at the Health Center. This year, health officials claim it is more important than ever to receive the flu vaccine and the swine flu vaccine.

Children, and especially college students, are more susceptible to the flu than those over 24 years old. It seems logical then to get the flu shot, right? Wrong.

In 1976 during the last swine flu outbreak, hundreds of people who received the swine flu vaccine suffered from Guillain-Barre (or Toxic Vaccine) syndrome.

This year’s swine flu vaccine only began testing in late July and early August. It may be too early to tell what sort of side effects will plague those who receive the vaccine — so it seems a bit irresponsible of the government and pharmaceutical companies to publicize and administer this vaccine. However, flu vaccines have been known to save thousands of lives, which is significant because over 36,000 Americans die each year from the flu.

Some immune systems are unable to handle the vaccine. When stressed or anxious, students shouldn’t get the flu vaccine. High stress levels lead to a suppressed immune system, which makes it harder for the body to create the natural antigens for the flu. As a result, those who are more susceptible to the virus may suffer flu side-effects. This may also increase the chances of others contracting the flu.

Flu vaccines do prevent up to 75 percent of flu cases for those that have received the vaccine. Pharmaceutical companies do their best to quickly develop a flu vaccine during an outbreak. Yet this also leads to competition, faulty testing, false publicizing, and endangering the population.

The pharmaceutical company Baxter has created one of the nationwide swine flu vaccines. It also has some history of scandals in administering faulty pharmaceuticals.

The vaccine itself is quite a controversial chemical compound. Within the flu vaccine there are traces of squalene (often acknowledged as a precursor to various auto-immune diseases), formaldehyde (Yuck. Dead people), egg protein (bad for those allergic to eggs), potassium phosphate (usually used in fungicides and fertilizers), and thimerosal (a form of mercury).

What’s worse is that babies and infants are the target population health care pushes to receive the vaccine — and the dosage of the vaccine given to children is the same given to adults.

Since the FDA has approved the vaccine, perhaps we have nothing to worry about; we should just let this flu rave run its course. But the FDA has been wrong before, and so has our government and health care system.

Everyone should look out for themselves and make their own decisions, regardless of the hype on the television — just because everyone runs to the doctors for a vaccine doesn’t mean it’s safe.

We all know the common ways to fend off the flu: washing your hands, covering your mouth when you cough, using hand sanitizer, getting plenty of sleep.

Foods you should have when fighting the flu, or to prevent the flu: garlic, hot and spicy foods that clear nasal passages, ginger tea to suppress coughs, citrus foods, and vitamin C.

An easy way to get vitamin C without peeling a hundred oranges is to purchase 1000 mg of Vitamin C packets, available at local food stores.

If you have the flu, you don’t have to be “rec’d.” You should avoid anything that is an immunosuppressive, such as heavy milk products (they create excess mucous in the body), hamburgers, pizza, fried foods, and salt (which constricts blood vessels). But you should eat lean proteins like chicken noodle soup.

Yogurts are great for boosting the immune system, and so are flavenoids (found in grapefruits, oranges, lemons, and limes). Foods with glutathione, such as kale, spinach, watermelon, cabbage, and broccoli also support and protect the immune system.

And when nauseous, peppermint tea always helps to calm an upset stomach.



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Swine flu vaccine expected to arrive in October

More than a million doses of swine flu vaccine a week are expected to start rolling in next month, state health officials said Thursday, but the first batches probably won't be enough to vaccinate everyone considered most at risk.

Texas will receive 1.1 million doses of the vaccine a week for three weeks and 1.5 million a week after that, said James Zoretic, regional medical director for the Texas Department of State Health Services.

A department spokesman said the first shipments could arrive as soon as early October – though no date is yet certain.

The numbers were released at a regional pandemic influenza conference in Arlington, attended by state and local health officials.

Also on Thursday, U.S. and Australian researchers announced findings that one shot of the vaccine, rather than two, should adequately protect adults from the disease.

The H1N1 vaccine, which is different from the one for seasonal flu, will be distributed to hospitals and clinics with guidelines to inoculate priority population groups – pregnant women, people 6 months to 24 years old, and those ages 64 or younger who have certain medical conditions, among others.

Several counties, including Dallas and Tarrant, have stopped counting cases of swine flu. Instead, health officials monitor emergency room reports of fevers, coughs and sore throats to gauge the disease's spread.

So far, such reports are up about 5 percent over the same period last year – a "slight uptick," said John Carlo, medical director for Dallas County Health and Human Services.

He said officials will be carefully watching that number to see if it increases over the flu season.

Officials are also monitoring school absentee rates for signs of classroom outbreaks. So far, those numbers are "fluctuating" quite a bit, said Carlo.

He cautioned that erratic absentee rates are not unusual for the beginning of the school year.

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Fight H1N1 with a healthy diet

With kids back in school, flu season is top of mind for many parents. Resurgent H1N1 virus, seasonal influenza and the common cold are expected to bring sneezing, coughing, aches and chills.

While you can't prevent these viruses from making their fall appearance, a healthy diet can bolster your immune system making it better prepared to respond. The right nutrients and certain supplements may also help ease cold and flu symptoms.

Flu season starts in October and lasts until April and colds typically occur between September and May. It's no coincidence we get sick more often during the fall and winter. Cooler temperatures keep us indoors where we're more likely to come into prolonged contact with others who are infected.

Vitamin D is thought to play a role in seasonal flu. The nutrient increases the body's production of proteins that destroy viruses, including influenza. Given that vitamin D is synthesized in our skin on exposure to sunlight, low blood levels of the vitamin in the winter months may make us more susceptible to getting the flu. Canadian researchers are currently investigating vitamin D for swine flu protection.

Your first defence against colds and flu is good personal hygiene. Frequent and thorough hand washing, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, and cleaning surfaces that you touch with germ-killing disinfectant will help protect you, your family and your co-workers from infection-causing germs.

Adequate sleep also helps guard against infection. Sleep deprivation disrupts immune function and increases levels of proteins in the body associated with inflammation. Aim for seven to eight hours of sleep each night; children and teenagers need nine to 10 hours.

A healthy immune system also needs regular exercise. Studies show that physically active people get fewer colds each year than do their sedentary peers. But don't overdo it. Intense workouts or prolonged endurance exercise steps up the production of stress hormones, which can hinder the body's ability to fight infection. Aim to get 30 to 60 minutes of light to moderate activity most days of the week.

When it comes to nutrition, a healthy diet that includes protein and plenty of fruit and vegetables will help build a strong immune system. While no single food or supplement is guaranteed to keep winter viruses away, studies suggest the following strategies may help.

Vitamin C

Although this nutrient promotes the body's production of immune compounds, there's little evidence that taking vitamin C can prevent colds and flu in average folks. However, in individuals under physical stress (such as marathon runners), supplementing with vitamin C cuts the risk of developing a cold in half.

Vitamin C does seem to lessen cold symptoms in adults and kids. A review of 30 studies involving 11,350 participants concluded that vitamin C reduced the duration of colds.

To reduce cold symptoms, 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C a day, taken in divided doses, appears to be most effective. Children, people under physical stress and those with low dietary intakes of vitamin C tend to respond best to this vitamin.

High doses of vitamin C may increase the risk of oxalate kidney stones. People with a history of kidney stones should restrict their intake to 100 milligrams a day.

Vitamin D

The advice for Canadian adults to take a vitamin D supplement in fall and winter to help reduce cancer risk may also protect from the flu by enhancing the body's immune system.

Take 1,000 IU (international units) of vitamin D each day throughout the fall and winter. Older adults, people with dark skin, those who don't go outdoors often and those who wear clothing that covers most of their skin should take the supplement year-round.

Children should supplement with 400 IU a day.

Zinc

This mineral is vital to a healthy immune system. Foods rich in zinc include oysters, seafood, red meat, poultry, yogurt, wheat bran, wheat germ, whole grains and enriched breakfast cereals. Your diet and a multivitamin and mineral supplement will provide all the zinc you need to stay healthy.

Zinc lozenges can reduce the duration of cold symptoms. Compared to cold sufferers taking placebo pills, those taking zinc gluconate or zinc acetate lozenges experienced faster recovery from coughing, sore throat, runny nose and headache.

Echinacea

This herb enhances the body's production of white blood cells that fight infection. The most recent review of 16 randomized trials concluded that the majority of studies report a positive effect, most notably when supplements of Echinacea purpurea (Eastern purple coneflower or Purple coneflower) were used.

Echinacea should be taken until symptoms are relieved and then continued two to three times daily for one week.

Ginseng

A special extract of North American ginseng, sold as COLD-fX (Afexa Life Sciences Inc.), can help treat colds and flu. A 2008 study of 323 healthy adults who had suffered at least two colds the previous year, found that compared to those taking a placebo, people who took COLD-fX were 26 per cent less likely to get a cold. Among those who did get colds, half were less likely to catch a second one.

The recommended does is 200 milligrams, twice daily, during cold and flu season. While COLD-fX shows promise for healthy adults, it has not been tested in children or the elderly.

Probiotics

These “friendly” strains of bacteria added to yogurt and sold as supplements are thought to stimulate the immune system. In adults, taking a daily supplement containing lactobacilli and bifidobacteria has been shown to reduce the severity and duration of colds and flu.

Probiotics may also be useful in preventing colds and flu in children. A study published last month in Pediatrics found that healthy children, aged 3 to 5, who took probiotics during the fall and winter suffered significantly less fever, coughs, antibiotic use and missed school days.

To supplement, buy a product that contains 1 billion to 10 billion live cells per dose (capsule). Choose a probiotic supplement that contains both lactobacilli and bifidobacteria strains. Children's products are available on the market; these usually contain one-quarter to one-half of the adult dose.

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A(H1N1) deaths in RP now at 28, says report

MANILA, Philippines—The number of fatalities in the Philippines due to the Influenza A(H1N1) virus has reached 28 as of Sept. 3, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said Sunday, citing a report from the Stockholm, Sweden-based European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

In a statement, TUCP secretary general Ernesto Herrera said the ECDC’s daily update on the A(H1N1) pandemic as of Sept. 3 stated that “20 new fatal cases have been reported in the Philippines since the country last accounted for only eight deaths on July 29.”

The ECDC’s daily updates offer statistics of A(H1N1) confirmed cases and deaths in countries and territories belonging to the European Union and/or covered by the European Free Trade Agreement. The number of deaths for selected countries, including the Philippines and seven other Southeast Asian countries, was included in the report.

There were no figures for cases in non-European countries and territories.

Herrera pointed out that the statistics on the non-European countries were based by the ECDC on “official information provided by national public health websites, or through other official communication channels.”

The daily updates may be viewed at the ECDC website (http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/Pages/Pandemic_%28H1N1%29_2009_Daily_Update.aspx). The Inquirer checked the latest posted daily report, dated Sept. 5, which still placed the number of fatalities in the Philippines at 28.

Figure could be higher

The former senator expressed concern that the actual number of A(H1N1) deaths in the country could possibly be higher than reported. He noted that Thailand and Malaysia, which both have superior surveillance of the disease, have already reported dozens of deaths.

The ECDC’s latest daily update listed a total of 262 confirmed A(H1N1) deaths in Southeast Asia, broken down as follows: Thailand, 130; Malaysia, 73; the Philippines, 28; Singapore, 17; Indonesia, 10; Vietnam, two; and Brunei and Laos, one each.

Globally, the ECDC said A(H1N1) had already claimed a total of 3,315 lives, according to the ECDC report.

The TUCP has been urging corporations to adopt “workplace continuity plans” to assure workers “the least possible interruption to their jobs and income” as the virus spreads more aggressively.

Weekly disclosure

Herrera also earlier urged the Department of Health (DoH) to resume its weekly disclosure of confirmed A(H1N1) cases “to keep the public in an elevated state of readiness” in dealing with the potentially faster spread of the virus. He cited the need to put “everyone in a constant high state of alertness, particularly in avoidance.”

The DoH recently ceased testing and reporting individual cases of A(H1N1), after the World Health Organization (WHO) stopped compelling countries to do so.

On Sunday, Herrera urged the DoH to consider routinely divulging to the public “at least the number of A(H1N1) cases admitted to hospitals and intensive care units, just like what health authorities are doing in other countries.”

Malacañang on Friday ordered the DoH to establish extra laboratories in public hospitals “to effectively manage” A(H1N1) cases. It also instructed the DoH to heighten the monitoring of the A(H1N1) virus and improve coordination with the WHO for real time exchange of information on the disease.

The WHO has warned governments around the world of an imminent surge in A(H1N1) cases. It said countries could see cases double every three to four days for several months, and “it is certain there will be more deaths.”

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Palace to DOH: Monitor A (H1N1) second wave

MANILA - President Arroyo on Friday ordered the Department of Health to step up its monitoring of the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) cases in the country amid fears that a second wave of the virus could affect nine million Filipinos.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the President has instructed the DOH to improve its coordination with the World Health Organization as to real-time exchange of information and data on the A (H1N1) virus.

"The President also ordered hastening of the capacitation of the laboratories of government hospitals for more testing in case of epidemics. She also provisioned that government hospitals to be better prepared to manage complicated cases that may be exacerbated by the virus," Remonde told reporters.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III earlier said a second wave of A (H1N1) infections in the Philippines could affect one-tenth of the population or about nine million Filipinos, but stressed there are no indications that the virus would worsen.

“So if our population is about 90 million, a second wave of A(H1N1) could affect as many as nine million Filipinos,” Duque told the Philippine Star during a cluster meeting of mayors from Mindanao under the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP).

But Duque said he recently got assurance from a WHO official that there were no indications that the A(H1N1) virus has mutated into a more virulent strain.

Duque noted that dengue fever and even ordinary flu were more fatal than A(H1N1) in the Philippines.

DOH records show 28 people infected with A(H1N1) have died in the country as of August 28. Nearly 5,000 have been infected though more than 96 percent of the cases have fully recovered.


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DOH: Second wave of H1N1 more virulent

MANILA - The Department of Health on Friday warned that a more virulent strain of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus could hit the country even as experts search for a vaccine to defeat the virus.

Dr. Eric Tayag, chief of the DOH Epidemiology Center, said A(H1N1) virulence's could be seen in how fast it spread globaly. The disease, which was first detected in Mexico, is the first pandemic of the 21st century and in 41 years.

"There will be a second wave of cases. These will come from Europe and the United States. Since it's flu season, we have to take steps to ensure that it doesn't spread [in the country]," Tayag told ABS-CBN.

The DOH official said a vaccine is still in the testing stage and could be released in January.

He said the DOH continues to make the rounds of hospital nationwide to ensure their preparedness for a possible second wave of A(H1N1) infections.

DOH records show 28 people infected with A(H1N1) have died in the country. Nearly 5,000 have been infected though more than 96 percent of the cases have fully recovered.

Globally, a total of 2,185 people have died from A(H1N1), with some tropical countries reporting "moderate strains" on their healthcare systems amid surges in infections.


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Pinay with lung problem dies of H1N1 in Bahrain

A runaway Filipina overseas worker with a pre-existing health condition was the first person reported to have died from A(H1N1) virus in Bahrain.

According to the report written by Mandeep Singh and Patrick Solomon and published online by the Gulf Daily News (GDN), OFW Jane Tamad Diale, 30, passed away in Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) Sunday.

The report said an extremely ill Diale was rushed to the hospital last Wednesday by an unidentified friend.

Diale’s father, Abdul Maguid Diale, reportedly requested her cousin Fatima to look for her when she came home during her vacation. Diale was traced at the SMC.

Fatima, too, was tested positive for H1N1 and is being treated and quarantined at home.

"I got the virus from the hospital but my condition was immediately detected. The doctors have told me to remain in isolation for a few days,” Fatima said in the report.

GDN was able to interview Mr. Diale who recently received photographs of his daughter who seemed to be in good health despite suffering from a lung condition.

"She had been suffering from a lung condition for several years, so when we heard she was in hospital, we thought her condition had aggravated," Mr. Diale said.

"In her latest photographs, she looked so beautiful, without a worry in the world. It was a beautiful smiling face, she looked so beautiful," her father added in the GDN report.

The last conversation he had with his daughter was around 10 days ago. He added that the family was aware that she ran away from her sponsor several months ago.

It was in 1999 when Diale went to work in Saudi Arabia for three years. Her condition started when she was working there. After that she moved to Dubai and then to Bahrain where her condition reportedly worsened.

GDN quoted SMC Infection Control head Dr. Jameela Salman as saying that people with H1N1 should not delay treatment as the virus could be fatal.

Dr. Salman said Diale could have been saved if she was treated earlier.



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WHO - Swine Flu Deaths surge to 2,837

GENEVA — The World Health Organization says at least 625 people have been reported dead from swine flu in the last week.

The swine flu virus has caused at least 2,837 deaths since it emerged in Mexico and the United States earlier this year and developed into a full-blown global epidemic. Most of the deaths are in the Western Hemisphere.

WHO said Friday that laboratory-confirmed cases of the disease have now reached 254,206.

Spokesman Gregory Hartl says the figure far understates the actual number of cases because countries are no longer required to report each infection as the caseload is so high.

He says the number of deaths is growing proportionately to the increase in number of infected people.


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Single swine flu vaccine dose may be enough

Novartis AG trumpeted the effectiveness of a single dose of its swine flu vaccine, boosting hopes that potentially tight supplies could go further when mass immunization programs start this month.

The outbreak of the H1N1 strain of flu, declared a pandemic on June 11, has spread around the world and could eventually affect 2 billion people, according to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates.

Many experts expected that two doses per person would be needed by health authorities preparing for a possible second wave of infections at the start of winter in the northern hemisphere.

Vaccination is expected to get under way in some countries this month with many others starting in October.

Novartis said on Thursday that its Celtura H1N1 vaccine had a strong immune response after just one dose in a pilot trial, and Chinese health authorities gave a green light to Sinovac, which says its vaccine also needs only one shot to be effective.

"This is good news as one dose of Celtura may be sufficient to protect adults against the swine flu. This potentially boosts that availability of flu vaccines for the upcoming flu season when a large outbreak of swing flu is expected," said Karl-Heinz Koch, an analyst at Swiss brokerage Helvea.

Another key variable is vaccine yield in the manufacturing process. Yields were initially low but the WHO said last month they were improving and one strain seemed to be yielding the same amount as seasonal vaccine.

Cell-based vaccines like Novartis's are quicker and easier to manufacture than traditional flu vaccines, which are grown in chicken eggs. However, supplies are limited for now -- they currently make up about 30 percent of the Swiss group's capacity.

Novartis said a pilot trial of Celtura run by Britain's Leicester University with 100 volunteers showed a potentially protective immune response in 80 percent of the subjects after one dose and more than 90 percent after two doses. Other studies with more than 6,000 adults and children are continuing.

Sinovac, the first company to complete clinical trials, received approval from Chinese health authorities to mass produce a vaccine for the new strain of H1N1 and raised its annual sales forecast.

Sinovac shares rose some 16 percent to $9.90 by 1351 GMT, while Novartis slipped 0.8 percent to 48.62 Swiss francs, in line with the DJ Stoxx European healthcare sector.

WINDFALLS

Other pharmaceutical companies like Sanofi Aventis, GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca's MedImmune unit are also racing to develop H1N1 vaccine as governments scramble to secure supplies.

Australia's CSL is already producing H1N1 vaccine and is making 1.0 million to 1.5 million doses per week until it fills all orders.

Antiviral drugs which treat flu rather than immunize -- Glaxo's Relenza and Tamiflu, made by Switzerland's Roche -- are also in high demand.

Sales to governments will provide a revenue and profit windfall for many drugmakers this year and in 2010.

"At the beginning of this year, we forecast our sales would rise by 20 percent," Sinovac Chief Executive Yin Weidong said on Thursday. "Looking at things now, H1N1 has given us an opportunity, so the rise should be more than 20 percent."

H1N1 vaccines would be given separately from regular seasonal flu shots.

Vaccines arrived too late in the 1957 and 1968 flu pandemics to be of much use, and flu vaccines had not been developed in the 1918 "Spanish flu" pandemic which killed an estimated 50 million people.


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Protect yourself against the swine flu with good nutrition

The swine flu is all over the news right now and leaving people in a panic wondering what can be done to protect against getting the illness. Good nutrition is a great place to start. Adding just a few foods to your diet can dramatically decrease your risk of getting the swine flu by building up your immune system.

Right now our population is overfed and undernourished. Meaning that people are filling up on nutritionally deficient foods, leaving their bodies malnourished and immune depressed. When your immune system isn’t supported with good nutrition your body can’t fight off bacteria and viruses as well putting you at a much greater risk of getting sick.

Foods to boost your immune system:

1) Protein: our bodies are made up of protein and in the every day wear and tear we need to keep up adequate protein intake to help our bodies re-build tissues and cells. Good sources of protein include lean meats, eggs, beans, and healthy soy products like tempeh.


2) Vitamin C: everyone knows that Vitamin C is essential to a good immune system; this is why it is frequently taken by people at the first sign of a cold. The problem is that people don’t get enough day to day and it is not stored in the body so when your stores are depleted your immune system crashes. Make sure to get Vitamin C in the foods you eat every day to keep your immune system running strong all the time. Good sources of Vitamin C include citrus fruits, bell peppers, berries, broccoli, tomatoes, and even potatoes.


3) Garlic: garlic is antimicrobial, antiviral, and antiparasitic. It is a wonderful immune enhancer. If you don’t like the taste of garlic, or don’t like smelling like garlic then take it in supplement form. Many supplements out there don’t have a taste or smell. Kyloic aged garlic extract is a great supplement.


4) Probiotics: probiotics keep our gastrointestinal (GI) system working properly. Sixty percent of our immune system lies within our GI tract, thus a healthy GI means healthy immunity. The overuse of antibiotics kills off our natural healthy gut flora and lowers our immunity, ironically. Supplementing with probiotics builds this healthy flora back up. Probiotics can be found in yogurt, fermented foods like sauerkraut and pickles, and in supplemental form.



Including these foods in your daily diet will enhance your immunity and protect you from colds and flu. The swine flu is a very real problem in our society right now and it is important to protect ourselves in the best way possible. Good nutrition is always a win-win situation for our health and the health of our families.


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