News on United Kingdom

New swine flu deaths reported in UK

2010-12-13T09:30:42Z

Eight people have died from swine flu in England since early September, health authorities have told AFP, with Britain seemingly at the forefront of a winter resurgence in Europe.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) insisted it was to be expect...

New swine flu deaths reported

2010-12-11T12:30:22Z

Eight people have died from swine flu in England since early September, health authorities told AFP on Saturday, with Britain seemingly at the forefront of a winter resurgence in Europe.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) insisted it was to be...

BNP and the swine flu epidemic

2010-11-29T15:40:50Z

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How to Sure Swine Flu is Serious?

2010-11-03T09:35:32Z

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How To Tell If Your Child Or Baby Has Swine Flu

2010-11-03T09:39:49Z

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SCMP Issues & Implications: July 11-12, 2009

2010-11-02T23:56:45Z

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Quantity Over Quality (BAX, GSK, NVS, SNY, AZN, SVA)

2010-09-11T03:43:29Z

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May 24, 2010

2010-10-27T07:48:54Z

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WHO sets up swine flu probe

2010-04-12T02:15:48Z

Health experts on Monday begin examining the controversial response to the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century, nearly a year after global alarm was raised over the new swine flu strain.

The World Health Organisation is forming a panel of 29 external experts following accusations that the agency-led international reaction to A(H1N1) influenza was overblown and may have been tainted by commerc...

Britain: Swine flu less deadly than first thought

2010-04-16T08:30:32Z

Britain: Swine flu less deadly than first thought, about 100 times less lethal than 1918 flu

Swine flu is far less dangerous than originally feared, British officials said Thursday — about 100 times less lethal than the 1918 Spanish flu.

To determine how deadly the virus is, the British health department tracked all reported swine flu patients hospitalized between July and November. In a paper publi...

Christmas kissing: On the cheek to avoid swine flu

2010-04-16T08:56:41Z

No wandering hands: Etiquette adviser says mistletoe kiss on cheek not lips to avoid swine flu

Britain's authority on etiquette says it's more hygienic to exchange kisses on the cheek than to shake hands — so the swine flu pandemic should not make people afraid of kissing under the mistletoe this holiday season.

But Debrett's warns people to observe proper etiquette by kissing others on the cheek in...

Swine flu cases in England drop

2010-04-16T09:06:59Z

British officials say swine flu cases in England dropped slightly last week, with about 53,000 new cases.

In a statement Tuesday, experts guess there were about 64,000 new cases the week before. The numbers are only estimates and have a wide margin of error.

Britain also announced Thursday it would start offering the swine flu vaccine to healthy children under five, besides those already being vaccinated, mainly peop...

Swine flu cases in England down by 25%

2010-04-16T09:12:35Z

British officials say that swine flu cases in England dropped by nearly 25 percent in the last week.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Health Protection Agency estimated there were about 64,000 new cases last week, compared with about 84,000 cases the week before. The numbers are only a guess since they are based on indicators like how many people call their doctors with flu-like symptoms or call t...

Visiting students brought swine flu to Kenya: study

2010-04-16T09:41:45Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Travelers from Britain, including medical and public health students, brought the new pandemic swine flu to Kenya in the space of a few weeks, researchers reported on Thursday.

Researchers testing out the East African country's new influenza surveillance system said the arrival of the new H1N1 ...

Official: UK has 18,000 new cases of swine flu

2010-04-16T09:55:29Z

The U.K.'s chief medical officer says there have been 18,000 new cases of swine flu in England over the last week as the country experiences the second wave of swine flu.

Liam Donaldson said Thursday the rate of infection is much lower than had been feared. British health officials no longer test every person suspected to have swine flu, but estimates are that 18,...

Third swine flu vaccine nears EU approval

2010-04-16T10:01:32Z

European regulators, fighting the threat of a second wave of deadly swine flu, on Friday paved the way for a third pandemic vaccine to be approved for use across the European Union.

The London-based European Medicines Agency (EMEA) recommended that the Scotland almost doubled to 13,800, according to the Healt...

Swine flu cases up 50 percent in England

2010-04-16T10:02:37Z

British health officials estimate swine flu cases have increased by about 50 percent in England since last week, with about 14,000 new cases.

Since they are no longer counting individual cases, the numbers released Thursday by the Health Protection Agency are only a rough guess. Swine flu cases have steadily risen in the Northern Hemisphere since schools reopened last month and temperatures dropped.

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UK drug giant GSK to start shipping flu vaccine

2010-04-16T10:04:09Z

British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline will next week begin shipping its swine flu vaccine Pandemrix across Europe, the group announced on Wednesday following approval by regulators.

"Following the (European) Commission's approval we expect to commence shipments of Pandemrix to European governments from next week," said Jean Stephenne, President of GlaxoSmithKline Biological...

Swine flu vaccines get approval

2010-04-16T10:08:25Z

European regulators recommended on Friday that two new vaccines to fight a swine flu pandemic be granted a marketing licence across Europe amid growing fears of a deadly second wave of the virus.

"The European Medicines Agency has recommended to the European Commission that two vaccines ag...

Swine flu vaccines win approval

2010-04-16T10:08:20Z

European regulators recommended on Friday that two new vaccines to fight a swine flu pandemic be granted a marketing licence across Europe amid growing fears of a deadly second wave of the virus.

"The European Medicines Agency has recommended to the European Commission that two vaccines ag...

Prison probes 'swine flu gel intoxication'

2010-04-16T10:08:34Z

An investigation was under way in a jail after an inmate appeared to have got drunk on anti-bacterial gel used to combat the spread of swine flu, a prison spokesman said on Friday.

The hand gel, which contains alcohol, was made available to prisoners at The Verne prison in Dorset, on the same day the incident took place.

A Prison Service spokesman said: "On 21 September, a prisoner... showed signs of intoxication, the cause of which...

Swine flu cases double in UK

2010-04-16T10:09:27Z

The country's number of new swine flu cases almost doubled in a week in the second weekly increase following a summer lull, official date released Thursday showed.

At least 66 schools in England have recorded outbreaks of the A(H1N1) virus since children returned to school at the start of September, according to the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

Experts have warned of a second wave of flu as the...

What's best for badly damaged lungs?

2010-10-26T21:36:30Z

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Swine flu sculpture unveiled in Britain

2010-06-26T05:33:50Z

A British museum has acquired an unusual new sculpture -- of the virus which causes swine flu, it said Friday.

The Wellcome Collection in London will display the glass sculpture by Luke Jerram from September 25 until October 18.

The work offers "a point of departure to explore the impact such viruses have had on populations and to find out more about the globa...

US, Europe offer swine flu vaccine to nations in need

2010-06-25T20:38:19Z

The United States, France and Britain are among nine countries that pledged Thursday to make 10 percent of their swine flu vaccine supply available to other nations that may need it.

In recognition of the global nature of the pandemic, the United States is taking this action along with Britain, notably among children returning to school after the summer break, according to official figures released Thursday.

An estimated 5,000 new cases were reported in England last week, the first rise since July in Britain -- the worst-hit country in Europe by the A(H1N1) virus.

"The rates of flu-like illness and rela...

Swine flu rising again in Britain

2010-04-16T10:16:46Z

The number of new swine flu cases is rising again in Britain, notably among children returning to school after the summer break, according to official figures released Thursday.

An estimated 5,000 new cases were reported in England last week, the first rise since July in Britain -- the worst hit country in Europe by the A(H1N1) virus.

"The rates of flu-like illness and rela...

China approves one-dose homegrown swine flu vaccine

2010-06-12T14:51:01Z

China on Thursday granted approval to its first home-grown swine flu vaccine, which producer Sinovac says is effective after only one dose, as the country braces for a feared winter outbreak.

The decision could boost the global fight against A(H1N1) influenza, as most experts had assumed that two doses of vaccine per person would be needed to provide adequate protection.

"The Sinovac (A)H1N1 vaccine is officially approved," the head o...

Britain, France get first batches of swine flu vaccine

2010-10-13T14:35:24Z

Britain and France have received their first batches of swine flu vaccine, officials said Thursday, as governments began to arm themselves against a second wave of the pandemic in the northern winter.

The World Health Organization has been warning governments for months to brace for a resurgence of ...

Swine flu death toll rises to 65

2010-04-16T10:37:41Z

The number of deaths of people with swine flu has risen to 65, but the rate of infection is still dropping, official figures released on Thursday showed.

Britain, the country hardest hit in Europe by the A(H1N1) virus pandemic, expects a second wave of infections as the northern hemisphere winter approaches.

Fifty-seven people with swine flu have died in England, six in

Half of health workers reject swine flu shot

2010-04-16T10:39:06Z

About half of Hong Kong's health workers would refuse the swine flu vaccine, new research says, a trend that experts say would likely apply worldwide.

In a study that polled 2,255 Hong Kong health workers this year, researchers found even during the height of global swine flu panic in May, less than half were willing to get vaccinated.

Most said they would pass on the swine flu shot, which is not yet available, because they we...

WHO: Save Tamiflu for the young, old and pregnant

2010-04-16T10:43:06Z

WHO: Healthy people who get swine flu don't need Tamiflu; drug for young, old, pregnant

The World Health Organization said Friday that Tamiflu should only be given to particularly vulnerable people — a warning to countries like Britain where the swine flu drug is being handed out...

Swine flu cases still on way down

2010-10-22T07:55:28Z

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Glance-PRESS DIGEST - British business - Aug 14

2010-10-22T07:43:54Z

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England flu deaths up, infections down

2010-04-16T10:57:30Z

The number of deaths in England linked to swine flu increased from 27 to 36 in the past week but the overall number of cases "decreased significantly," health authorities said Thursday.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) said there were 30,000 new cases of swine flu in England over the past seven days, compared to 110,000 cases in the previous week, and the majority of infections continued to be "mild"....

British officials: New swine flu cases decreasing

2010-04-16T10:57:45Z

British health officials say the number of new swine fu cases has decreased sharply in the past week.

The Health Protection Agency says there were an estimated 30,000 new cases in England in the past seven days, down from 110,000 the previous week.

Britain is Europe's hardest-hit country with sw...

Doctors voice fears over flu phoneline

2010-04-16T10:58:57Z

An overwhelming majority of doctors fear that infections and serious diseases could be missed because swine flu is being diagnosed over the phone, a poll showed Wednesday.

Nearly 90 percent of 251 general practitioners questioned by GP newspaper fear that conditions such as tonsilitis or bronchitis and potentially fatal illnesses such as meningitis may be overlooked.

The swine flu hotline was launched to reduce pressure on doctors because World Cup qualifying tie with Wales in Cardiff next month due to the risk of contracting swine flu, the state health agency said Monday.

"This would be an extremely uneccessary and inappropriate undertaking at a time of a flu epidemic," the head of Britain, health officials said Thursday, estimating some 110,000 new cases last week, only 10 percent higher than the previous week.

The number of deaths in England was 27, just one up on the previous week's toll of 26, said the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in its weekly briefing on swine flu.

Swine flu may have peaked in Britain

2010-04-16T11:05:03Z

British officials say the swine flu outbreak "may have plateaued" in the country, as the number of cases is no longer increasing rapidly.

Britain's Health Protection Agency has said there were 110,000 new swine flu cases last week. That is a 10 percent jump from the previous week, when officials guessed there were about 100,000 new cases.

London girl, 16, is critically ill with swine flu in Greece

2010-10-22T07:54:12Z

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London teen fights for life after catching swine flu on holiday

2010-10-22T07:54:14Z

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East London district on swine flu frontline

2010-04-16T11:07:42Z

Pharmacies in Tower Hamlets no longer stock Tamiflu: the east London borough has Britain's highest swine flu rate, and the drug is only available at a distribution centre whose address is kept secret.

Up to 400 people floc...

Are You Starting to Worry About Swine Flu? (There's H1N1 Hysteria Going on in England)

2010-10-24T09:22:41Z

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Vaccine for swine flu may be unsafe warns WHO

2010-10-22T07:53:59Z

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Swine flu hotline open on Thursday

2010-10-22T07:53:59Z

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Europe fast-tracking swine flu vaccine

2010-04-16T11:08:59Z

In a drive to inoculate people against swine flu before winter, many European governments say they will fast-track the testing of a vaccine, arousing concern among some experts about safety and proper doses.

The European Medicines Agency, the EU's top drug regulatory body, is accelerating the approval process for swine flu vaccine, and countr...

City plans to use catacombs for swine flu victims

2010-04-16T11:09:36Z

A city council said Saturday it was considering using underground burial chambers, currently a tourist attraction, to store the corpses of swine flu victims if the pandemic worsens.

Exeter City Council said the empty 19th-century catacombs could become an emergency mortuary.

A council spokesman said the plan could be put into operation if the cemeteries and the crematorium could not keep up with funeral demands.

He said: "We have some empty catacombs in an old cemetery ...

160 Britons in swine flu quarantine in Asia, Egypt: ministry

2010-04-16T11:10:34Z

At least 160 Britons are in quarantine for swine flu in China, India, Singapore and Egypt, the Foreign Office in London said Friday.

The bulk of those affected -- 138 -- are in China, where 61 British schoolchildren and teachers are in quarantine...

Millions log on for swine flu help

2010-04-16T11:11:01Z

A new government website launched to help identify swine flu symptoms and order drugs crashed after it was swamped by over nine million people, it was reported Friday.

At least 30 deaths have so far been linked to swine flu here, 26 in England and four in Scotland, according to the latest update from the Department of Health.

The figure is unchanged on the previous week. A further 840 people are in hospital in England, includin...

UK swine flu cases jump as millions log on for help

2010-04-16T11:11:14Z

Around 100,000 new cases of swine flu were diagnosed in Britain in the last week, officials said Thursday, as millions rushed to consult a new website to identify symptoms and order drugs.

At least 30 deaths have so far been linked to swine flu here, 26 in England and four in Scotland, according to the latest update from the Department of Health.

The figure is unchanged...

Britain, France step up fight against swine flu

2010-04-16T11:11:21Z

Britain on Thursday rolled out new battle plans to cope with swine flu as cases soared and drugs giant Roche said it expected to sell another 900 million dollars's worth of an anti-viral drug by the end of the year.

A new swine flu hotline launched in Britain aimed to give people who believe they are infected with the A(H1N1) virus access to anti-viral drugs without seeing a doctor.

An estimated 100,000 cases have be...

Britain, major travel hub, hard hit by flu pandemic

2010-04-16T11:11:28Z

LONDON (Reuters) - The global H1N1 flu pandemic is hitting Britain harder than other European countries, mainly because Britain is a hub for international travel and communications, health experts said on Thursday.

Some 31 people have died in Britain from the virus, compared with only four in Spain and none in the re...

Govt reports 100,000 new swine flu cases in week

2010-04-16T11:11:34Z

An estimated 100,000 new cases of swine flu have been recorded over the last week in England, the Department of Health said Thursday.

Of those some 840 are in hospital, including 63 in intensive care, it said, giving the latest update of the virus.

Last week it estimated that 55,000 new cases had been reported in the previous week, adding that 29 people had died. There was no immediate update on the death toll, which has since reached at least 30.

Some British Anglicans alter communion ritual to thwart the spread of swine flu

Two Anglican dioceses in Britain are changing how they handle Communion in an attempt to reduce the spread of swine flu.

Church of England parishes in Blackburn, 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 measur...

Taiwan develops new compound to fight swine flu

2010-04-16T11:13:53Z

Taiwanese scientists said on Tuesday they had developed an organic compound which could help control the global swine flu epidemic as the worldwide death toll from the disease passed 700.

The compound, which the researchers call NTU-VirusBom, can destroy viruses such as A(H1N1) swine flu and avian influenza and stop the spread of bacteria including those responsible for staph infections.

It could be used widely in hygiene products, detergents and air filters, as well as face-...

Britain bids to quell flu fears

2010-04-16T11:14:03Z

Britain has announced plans to vaccinate half the population against swine flu by year's end, as health officials in Russia warned the virus could spread across the vast country in the coming months.

As more than 100 British students and teachers were quarantined in Beijing over fears they may have A(H1N1),

China 'releases quarantined British pupils'

2010-10-22T07:53:45Z

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Britain's swine flu advice confuses public

2010-04-16T11:14:56Z

Health officials in Britain have issued a torrent of conflicting advice on swine flu, telling people to avoid travel, stay away from crowds and even advising women to delay getting pregnant until the virus subsides.

Other health experts said Monday the advice risked scaring and confusing the public and was a complete overreaction to a virus that so far remains mild.

Still, Britain's press dug into the topic with reli...

Govt bids to quell flu fears

2010-04-16T11:14:27Z

The government announced plans Monday to vaccinate half the population against swine flu by year's end as Russian health officials warned the virus was now affecting all parts of Europe's largest country.

As dozens more British students were quarantined in Beijing over fears they may have A(H1N1), Health Secretary Andy Burnham told me...

Swine flu threatens British economy: study

2010-04-16T11:14:27Z

The British economy could contract as much as 7.5 percent this year if the swine flu pandemic continues to escalate, a report published Monday.

Recovery from the global economic downturn could be delayed as a result of the virus in Britain, the country worst hit by swine flu in Europe, according to the Ernst and ...

Think You Have Swine Flu? English Can Dial ‘T’ for Tamiflu

2010-10-24T09:57:13Z

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Govt tries to quell swine flu fears

2010-04-16T11:15:05Z

Health Secretary Andy Burnham urged people not to panic Monday over swine flu, as he sought to clear up apparent confusion over advice for pregnant women.

Britain is the worst-hit country in Europe, with estimates of 55,000 new cases of the A(H1N1) virus last week.

Speaking ahead of a statement on the pandemic to p...

Tight security for Tamiflu supplies as first centre opens

2010-10-22T07:53:37Z

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Recession 'will be the worst since Second World War'

2010-10-22T07:53:36Z

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Guards to protect swine flu drugs at secret locations

2010-10-22T07:53:35Z

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Airlines blocking swine flu travellers

2010-10-27T14:56:48Z

Airlines stepped up restrictions Sunday on travellers to and from Britain as a report said four more British students quarantined in China had been confirmed as having swine flu.

Britain is Europe's worst-hit territory, with estimates of 55,000 new cases last week, and both

Airlines turning back swine flu victims

2010-04-16T11:15:42Z

Airlines have put in place measures to turn back passengers showing swine flu symptoms, they said Sunday.

British Airways said there had been "very small number of cases" where people showing symptoms of the H1N1 virus had been advised not to travel following medical advice.

And Virgin Atlantic said people suffering from...

Swine flu sweeping world at 'unprecedented speed': WHO

2010-04-16T11:17:31Z

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 ...

Fight for swine flu vaccine could get ugly

2010-04-16T11:19:00Z

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 citizen...

75,000 Britons could die of swine flu

2010-04-16T11:22:17Z

Health officials say another 12 people in Britain have died of swine flu and as many as 75,000 people could eventually be killed by the disease.

The number is based on estimates that 1 in 3 people will get infected with the virus. But because there is no accurate way of predicting how many people will die from swine flu, the numbers are speculative. Sir Liam Donaldson...

Swine flu death toll now 29: health agency

2010-04-16T11:18:47Z

Twenty-nine people with swine flu have so far died, health officials said Thursday, in a sharp increase in the death toll from 17 earlier this week.

Twenty-six people have died in England and three in Scotland, the Health Protection Agency said, while estimating there were 55,000 new cases last week in

Why every parent really dreads swine flu

2010-10-22T07:53:25Z

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Flu vaccine 'not ready for months,' WHO chief warns

2010-04-16T11:20:06Z

The world's top health official said on Wednesday that a vaccine to combat the surging swine flu pandemic would not be readily available for months as the number of deaths from the virus spiralled.

The comments by World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan came as Australia and Britain linked to the virus to 17, health officials said Monday.

Chloe Buckley, from London, and a doctor from Bedfordshire, Michael Day, were named as the latest victims of the virus.

Their exact cause of d...

Swine flu helplines are flooded with panicked callers

2010-10-22T07:53:18Z

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Swine Flu Vaccines Will Have to Wait

2010-10-22T07:17:51Z

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Britain Tuition Tangle

2011-01-04T08:04:09Z

FILE - This is a Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010 file photo of Britain's Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as they react as their car is attacked by angry protesters in London. British police released a video Tuesday Jan. 4, 2011 of ...

Britain Soccer Premier League

2011-01-02T11:00:17Z

Chelsea's Florent Malouda, left, is fouled by Aston Villa's Stilian Petrov during their English Premier League soccer match at the England, Saturday Jan. 1, 2011, after about 40 prisoners began a riot and set alight to some of the buildings inside the open prison, according to the a Ministry of Justice official. (AP Photo / Chris Ison, PA) UNITED KINGD...

Britain Prison Riot

2011-01-01T11:01:05Z

Specialist prison officers stand outside a fire damaged building at the Ford Open Prison near Arundel, 60 miles (95 kms) south of London, after prisoners began a riot and set alight the low-security prison Saturday Jan. 1, 2011. Officials said about 40 inmates at the prison began the disturbance at around midnight New Year's Eve after some prisoners refused to take breath tests for alcohol. (AP Photo/Chris Ison/PA Wire)

Margaret Thatcher

2010-12-30T08:00:27Z

FILE- In a June 7, 1984 file photo, President Ronald Reagan has a word in the ear of Britain's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, at a reception given by the British Government at London's