Preventive measures for deadly swine flu -2

2010-11-02T21:51:23Z

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WHO declares swine flu pandemic is over

2010-08-10T10:16:05Z

The World Health Organisation on Tuesday declared the swine flu pandemic over, more than a year after the new virus spread around the world, sparking panic and killing thousands before fizzling out.

"The world is no longer in phase six of the pandemic alert. We are now moving into the post-pandemic period," WHO Director General Margaret Chan sa...

WHO sets up independent review of swine flu response

2010-03-29T09:16:07Z

The World Health Organisation said Monday it would go ahead next month with an independent review of the response to the swine flu pandemic, after criticism of its role in declaring a global alert.

The international response will be scrutinised by a committee of 29 independent health experts and scientists which is being formed by the UN heal...

WHO says too early to declare swine flu peak over

2010-04-16T06:58:33Z

It is too early to say that the swine flu pandemic has peaked in all parts of the world, the World Health Organisation's emergency committee said.

"The Committee advised that it was premature to conclude that all parts of the world have experienced peak transmission of the H1N1 pandemic influenza," a spokesman said Tuesday, adding more "time and information was needed."

Swine flu 'should be included in new seasonal vaccine'

2010-04-16T07:04:25Z

The World Health Organisation said Thursday that the swine flu pandemic virus would spread again next winter in the northern hemisphere and recommended its inclusion in the regular influenza vaccine.

Protection against two other seasonal strains should be incorporated along with the A(H1N1) pandemic strain that swept across the world in 2009, the

WHO: Add swine flu to regular flu vaccine

2010-04-16T07:04:34Z

The World Health Organization is recommending that swine flu be added to regular flu vaccines next season.

The swine flu pandemic virus, or H1N1, emerged too late last year to be added to the regular flu vaccine, and a separate vaccine was needed.

For this year's northern hemisphere flu season, however, the two vaccines should be combined, WHO flu chief WHO experts to meet this month, examine whether peak of swine flu pandemic is over

The World Health Organization will hold an expert meeting later this month to consider whether the swine flu pandemic's peak has passed, a senior official said Thursday.

WHO's emergency committee will give its verdict to U.N. health chie...

Flu pandemic easing, but risks remain: WHO

2010-04-16T07:33:10Z

GENEVA (Reuters) - The H1N1 flu pandemic appears to be easing, but a third wave of infections could yet strike, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.

"Pandemic infections are occurring in many countries but overall the pattern is decreasing," Keiji Fukuda, the WHO's t...

WHO to send swine flu vaccine to poor countries

2010-04-16T08:19:57Z

The World Health Organization plans to start shipping swine flu vaccine to Azerbaijan, Afghanistan and Mongolia in the next few weeks, flu chief Keiji Fukuda said Thursday.

Another 32 developing...

Too early to declare end to swine flu pandemic: WHO

2010-04-16T08:19:59Z

Senior World Health Organisation official Keiji Fukuda said Thursday that it was too early to declare the swine flu pandemic over, as it continues at "high levels" in parts of Europe and central Asia.

Although the A(H1N1) flu virus is peaking in parts of the north...

H1N1 shows no widespread antiviral resistance: WHO

2010-04-16T09:21:11Z

GENEVA (Reuters) - Cases of the H1N1 pandemic influenza virus showing resistance to antiviral drugs are "isolated and infrequent," the World Health Organization said on Thursday.

"We see no evidence at all that there is widespread occurrence of antiviral resistance," the U.N. h...

WHO says preparation vital for next swine flu wave

2010-04-16T10:42:31Z

World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan on Friday urged governments to prepare for a likely second wave of swine flu cases, cautioning they will face tough decisions on how to dispense vaccines.

Chan's statement came as more than two dozen pharmaceutical companies around the world scramble to produce a safe and effective vaccine against ...

WHO Readies to Declare Swine Flu Pandemic

2010-10-24T09:14:58Z

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WHO may be poised to declare flu pandemic

2010-04-16T11:53:38Z

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization has called an emergency meeting of experts on Thursday to discuss the spreading H1N1 flu outbreak, in a sign the U.N. agency may be poised to declare a pandemic.

WHO Director-...

World getting 'very close' to swine flu pandemic: WHO

2010-04-16T11:53:15Z

The World Health Organization warned Tuesday that the world was on the verge of an official swine flu pandemic, saying it was working to prepare countries for raising its alarm to the highest level.

"We are getting very, very close," said Keiji Fukuda, WHO assistant director-general, noting that in Au...

WHO Declaration of Swine Flu Pandemic Appears Imminent

2010-10-24T09:52:03Z

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World 'very close' to swine flu pandemic: WHO

2010-04-16T11:53:30Z

The world is getting "very close" to a swine flu pandemic, a senior World Health Organisation official said Tuesday, noting that there is now community-level transmission in Australia.

"We are really getting very close" to a pandemic, said Keiji Fukuda, assistant director-general, adding that the ...

WHO says swine flu alert closer to pandemic

2010-04-16T11:59:37Z

WHO says swine flu alert moving closer to global epidemic as cases hit 18,965, with 117 dead

The World Health Organization said Tuesday it is "getting closer" to declaring a global outbreak of the swine flu virus as the infection appears to be taking hold outside of North America.

WHO flu chief

WHO mulls pandemic threshold as flu cases near 13,000

2010-04-16T12:06:22Z

Mexico reported two more swine flu deaths on Tuesday, as World Health Organization scientists asked if it had moved too quickly to declare the outbreak a pandemic.

Authorities in Mexico said the death toll had risen to 85, and infected cases rose to 4,721 with scientists advancing through a backlog of samples.

New cases were reported across the globe,...

WHO to refine flu pandemic criteria

2010-04-16T12:06:56Z

The World Health Organisation will consult scientists over the coming weeks to clear up the criteria needed to declare a pandemic with the new A(H1N1) flu virus, a senior official said Tuesday.

"We are trying to see what kind of adjustments must be made to make sure that the definitions really meet the situation," said interim Assistant Director Gene...

Swine flu set to spread WHO warns

2010-04-16T12:17:50Z

Swine flu will spread further across the world, the World Health Organisation warned, as the number of confirmed cases surged by more than 1,000 and Japan Saturday reported its first domestic infection.

Acting WHO Assistant Director General Keiji Fukuda told reporters that studies indicated a "significant...

Swine flu set to spread, reported cases surge: WHO

2010-04-16T12:18:22Z

Swine flu will spread further across the world, experts at the World Health Organisation warned Friday, as the number of confirmed cases surged by more than 1,000 and the US reported two more deaths.

Acting WHO Assistant Director-General Keiji Fukuda told reporters that studies by experts indicated a "significant number of people" had been infect...

WHO needs time to evaluate swine flu vaccine

2010-06-12T14:51:26Z

Scientists need more time to decide whether to mass produce a vaccine against swine flu, the World Health Organization said, as the number of cases topped 6,000 around the globe.

Acting assistant WHO director-general Keiji Fukuda told journalists that a meeting of experts came to "no big decisions" on Thursday on whether to begin producing a vacc...

WHO puts off decision on swine flu vaccine

2010-06-12T14:51:30Z

The World Health Organisation said Thursday that scientists will need more time to decide whether to start mass production of vaccines against the swine flu virus.

Acting assistant director-general Keiji Fukuda told journalists there have been "no big decisions" from a meeting of experts on Thursday on an A(H1N1) vaccine.

He added that more...

WHO defends pandemic alarm as swine flu spreads

2010-06-12T12:02:14Z

The World Health Organization has defended its decision to raise the global pandemic alarm for swine flu as Cuba, Thailand and Finland confirmed their first cases of the virus.

The global health body's acting Assistant...

WHO: Up to 2 billion people might get swine flu

2010-04-16T12:27:13Z

WHO says up to 2 billion people might get swine flu if it moves to a pandemic

Up to 2 billion people could be infected by swine flu if the current outbreak turns into a pandemic lasting two years, the World Health Organization said Thursday.

WHO flu chief Keiji Fukuda said the historical record of flu pandemics indicates o...

H1N1 Flu: Thursday Update

2010-10-23T23:38:42Z

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Mexico bounces back to life after swine flu

2010-04-16T12:27:37Z

World health chiefs admitted Thursday they had yet to get a handle on swine flu and warned against any lowering of the guard after Mexico, the epicentre of the epidemic, ended a nationwide lockdown.

High schools and universities reopened in Mexico, the day after offices and restaurants were cleared to take down the shutters that had been ordered to remain in place for five days in a bid to contain the outbreak.

"Fortunately, we've m...

A third of world could get swine flu: WHO

2010-04-16T12:27:23Z

The World Health Organisation on Thursday said that in a pandemic situation it was "reasonable" to estimate that a third of the world's population would catch the swine flu virus.

"If you look at past pandemics, it would be a reasonable estimate that a third of the population would be infected" if the current swine flu outbreak became a pandemic, said

Mexico shuts down public sites to fight swine flu

2010-04-16T12:58:39Z

Mexico closed down virtually every public space in the capital, desperately trying to keep the lid on a swine flu outbreak that has sparked fears a deadly global pandemic is at hand.

Even as the government revised down its confirmed death toll, other nations increased their tallies of people who have or could have the sometimes fatal illness, which is baffling medical experts and sparking international .

The World Health Organisation's emergency flu pandemic panel met Wednesday as a senior official said there was no evidence that the spread of the swine flu virus was slowing.

"It's clear that the virus is spreading, we have no evidence of this slowing down," said Keiji Fukuda, WHO's assistant director general for health, security and the environ...

WHO calls emergency meet as swine flu spreads

2010-04-16T12:47:07Z

The World Health Organisation on Wednesday called a meeting of its emergency flu pandemic panel as a senior official said there was no evidence that the spread of the swine flu virus was slowing.

"It's clear that the virus is spreading, we have no evidence of this slowing down," said Keiji Fukuda, WHO's assistant director general for health, secu...

WHO says swine flu moving closer to pandemic

2010-04-16T13:34:16Z

The World Health Organization warned Wednesday that the swine flu outbreak is moving closer to becoming a pandemic, as the United States reported the first death outside of Mexico, and Germany and Austria became the ...

No evidence swine flu virus slowing: WHO

2010-04-16T12:50:34Z

There is no evidence that the spread of the swine flu virus is slowing, a senior World Health Organization official said Thursday.

"It's clear that the virus is spreading, we have no evidence of this slowing down," said Keiji Fukuda, WHO's assistant director general for health, security and the environment.

Germany became the latest country to confirm cases on its soil while Mexico desperately tried to keep the lid on the virus.

With fears rising of easy transmission between people, authorities in Mexico City shut down bars, cafes, gyms, cinemas and tourist sites, including the world...

Experts: Major gaps in swine flu knowledge

2010-11-03T08:51:06Z

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Switzerland UN Swine Flu Chief

2010-04-05T21:37:57Z

Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General for Health Security and Environment at the World Health Organization (WHO), gestures during an interview with the Associated Press at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland...

Mexico Swine Flu Summit

2010-04-06T08:53:28Z

U.S. World Health Organization Assistant Director Keiji Fukuda attends a conference on swine flu in Cancun, Mexico, Friday, July 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Miguel Tovar)

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