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Patients-care
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4 private hospitals may get nod to treat swine flu patients
Delhi government is all set to give a go-ahead to four private hospitals to admit H1N1 influenza patients by this weekend. The state health department has inspected the isolation wards at Indraprastha Apollo, Moolchand Medcity, Sir Gangaram and St Stephens and are in the process of discussing the H1N1 influenza protocols that needs to followed while treating positive cases.
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Scientists trying to identify 'sanjivani' herb
Having found a few Himalayan herbs that match the description of the sanjivani, a team of five scientists at the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) here is working on identifying the properties of each of these.
'We are engaged in a genetic analysis of these herbs to zero in on what we are looking for in a true sanjivani herb,' team leader P.N. Khare told IANS.
What has made the task difficult is the lookalike features of several different herbs found at high altitudes in the Himalayas from where monkey god Hanuman is understood to have fetched the herb to save the life of Lakshman who was injured in battle.
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European Medicines Agency Recommends Authorisation Of Two Vaccines For Influenza Pandemic (H1N1) 2009
The European Medicines Agency has recommended to the European Commission that two vaccines against influenza A(H1N1) ('swine flu') be granted a marketing authorisation. Vaccines are one of the most important tools in the management of an influenza pandemic, helping to reduce illness and deaths by building up immune protection against the pandemic flu virus. To ensure that authorised vaccines are available before the start of the flu season in the coming autumn and winter months, the Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) expedited its assessment.
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European Medicines Agency Recommends Authorisation Of Two Vaccines For Influenza Pandemic (H1N1) 2009
The European Medicines Agency has recommended to the European Commission that two vaccines against influenza A(H1N1) ('swine flu') be granted a marketing authorisation. Vaccines are one of the most important tools in the management of an influenza pandemic, helping to reduce illness and deaths by building up immune protection against the pandemic flu virus. To ensure that authorised vaccines are available before the start of the flu season in the coming autumn and winter months, the Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) expedited its assessment.
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Integrated Environmental Technologies, Ltd. Announces EcaFlo(R) Anolyte (Excelyte(R)) Effective Against Swine Flu (H1N1)
Integrated Environmental Technologies, Ltd. (OTCBB: IEVM) announces the successful results of IET's EcaFlo® Anolyte solution, marketed as Excelyte®, against Swine Influenza (H1N1). Specific testing performed by Microbiotest Labs of Sterling, Virginia concluded that Excelyte® is efficacious against the microorganism which causes Swine Flu. IET will submit the results of the H1N1 testing to the EPA for inclusion on its master label.
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Anti-swine flu drug FLUVIR available in India
FLUVIR, the first anti- swine flu drug, was on Tuesday launched in the retail markets across the country.
An Indian drug manufacturer, Hetero Healthcare Limited, announced the launch of FLUVIR, Oseltamivir drug similar to Tamiflu in the retail market.
The launch of the drug came at a time when the deadly virus has claimed 257 lives and affected 8,153 people in the country.
Before the government notification allowing retail sale of anti-viral drug Oseltamivir, the Centre procured 19 million FLUVIR capsules from Hetero to check the recent outbreak of deadly H1N1 flu in India, Marketing Director, Hetero Srinivas Reddy claimed.
FLUVIR, which was available only through government hospitals, will now be available in around 480 designated medical shops having Schedule X licence across the country, he said.
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In Children, 2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Works Like Seasonal Flu Vaccine
Early results from a trial testing a 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine in children look promising, according to the trial sponsor, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. Preliminary analysis of blood samples from a small group of trial participants shows that a single 15-microgram dose of a non-adjuvanted 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine — the same dose that is in the seasonal flu vaccine — generates an immune response that is expected to be protective against 2009 H1N1 influenza virus in the majority of 10- to 17- year-olds eight to 10 days following vaccination. These results are similar to those recently reported in clinical trials of healthy adults. Younger children generally had a less robust early response to the vaccine.
"This is very encouraging news," says NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. "As we had hoped, responses to the 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine are very similar to what we see with routinely used seasonal influenza vaccines made in the same way. It seems likely that the H1N1 flu vaccine will require just one 15-microgram dose for children 10 to 17 years of age. The 2009 H1N1 influenza virus is causing widespread infections among children, so these are welcome results."
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Swine Flu Shots Safe for People With Weak Immune Systems: Experts
FRIDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) — The H1N1 swine flu vaccines approved this week by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can be safely used by people with compromised immune systems, according to new recommendations from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.
These would include people whose immune responses are weakened by medical treatments (such as for cancer or organ transplant) and those infected with HIV, the experts said.
Influenza vaccines can be made from live — but modified and weakened — virus, or they can be made from the harmless byproducts of the virus (so-called “killed” virus vaccines). According to the experts at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), all of the injected H1N1 vaccines so far approved by the FDA are of the “killed” variety.
“There’s never any harm with giving killed influenza vaccine” to immuno-compromised individuals, said Dr. Kenneth Bromberg, director of the Vaccine Research Center at The Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City.
There is one vaccine out there that those with weakened immune systems should avoid: the nasal spray form of the flu vaccine, FluMist. FluMist is already available as a seasonal flu vaccine, and 3.4 million doses of an H1N1 version of FluMist are expected to be distributed nationally the first week of October, CDC officials announced Friday.
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'Surgical masks offer no protection against flu'
Sydney, Sep 17 (IANS) Surgical masks offer doctors no protection against a pandemic and need to be replaced, says a new study.
The study by University of New South Wales (UNSW), which compared the efficiency of various masks, found that specialised respirators (N95 masks) offer the best protection to health workers.
This is the first study to compare the efficiency of various masks, and it revealed that surgical masks offer no protection at all to either influenza or respiratory disease.
N95 masks provided 75 percent protection against proven influenza infection and 56 percent protection against proven respiratory viral infections.
The findings could revolutionise current medical practice, which relies on surgical masks providing defence against influenza when vaccines aren't available.
The protection of health workers is crucial, as they are at the front line of an effective pandemic response, according to Raina MacIntyre, UNSW professor, who led the study.
The results suggest that, although they're more expensive, N95 masks should be the standard protective equipment offered to health workers.
The random clinical trial was performed in 24 hospitals and involved 1,936 hospital health care workers in Beijing, China.
These findings were presented at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy in San Francisco.
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India's swine flu toll 212, Tamiflu sales allowed Last Updated :
A record 11 swine flu deaths, including three in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh each, were reported Wednesday, taking India's total toll to 212 as the government announced 'restricted sale' of anti-influenza medicine Tamiflu in the open market.
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