H1N1 vaccine makers granted immunity and other flu news

The news coverage on H1N1 is coming fast and furiously. It’s hard to keep up. Here are some of the recent developments that may have slipped under your radar.

H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine makers granted immunity from lawsuits

Just as millions of Americans are being told they should get the new H1N1 or “swine flu” vaccine when it becomes available this fall, the Department of Health and Human Services has granted vaccine makers and federal officials immunity from lawsuits that result from any new H1N1 vaccine.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius signed the document releasing vaccine and government officials from liability on July 17.

Paul Pennock, a New York plaintiff’s attorney on medical liability cases, doesn’t agree with granting immunity. He told AP: "If you're going to ask people to do this for the common good, then let's make sure for the common good that these people will be taken care of if something goes wrong."

Granting immunity to vaccine manufacturers adds to the uneasiness some Americans have about the new flu vaccines.

Fred Burks, a writer with U.S. Intelligence Examiner, went back to the archives for coverage of the last swine flu immunization program in 1976. Burks wrote, “This excellent 60 Minutes exposé reveals blatant U.S. government propaganda and fear-mongering in the swine flu outbreak and mass vaccination of 1976. The incisive report states that though only one person died as a result of the swine flu, "4,000 Americans are claiming damages from Uncle Sam amounting to three and a half billion dollars because of what happened when they took that [swine flu] shot."

WHO no longer tracking, reporting H1N1 cases

The World Health Organization announced without fanfare July 16 that it would stop tracking swine flu cases and deaths around the world because the virus is too widespread.

The announcement was made on the WHO website:

“The increasing number of cases in many countries with sustained community transmission is making it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for countries to try and confirm them through laboratory testing. Moreover, the counting of individual cases is now no longer essential in such countries for monitoring either the level or nature of the risk posed by the pandemic virus or to guide implementation of the most appropriate response measures.”

Petition to “Refuse and Resist Mandatory Flu Vaccines” launched

There’s a lot of discussion on whether the H1N1 vaccine will be voluntary or mandatory. Just in case it’s the latter, Citizens for Legitimate Government has launched a petition urging people to pledge to resist a mandatory flu vaccine.

CDC posts new Q&A on H1N1 vaccine

Q. When is it expected that the novel H1N1 vaccine will be available?
A. The novel H1N1 vaccine is expected to be available in the fall. More specific dates cannot be provided at this time as vaccine availability depends on several factors including manufacturing time and time needed to conduct clinical trials

More at the CDC website.

Health organizations cancelled kids’ summer camps over H1N1 fears

The Muscular Dystrophy Association canceled 47 camps that 2,500 campers were expected to attend and the American Lung Association of the Southwest also cancelled its camps for children with asthma.

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic to prevent passengers suspected of having the H1N1 from flying

See the note on Cheapflights.com.

Pulmonary Reviews asks infectious disease expert to opine on the H1N1 outbreak

David L. Cohn, MD, Associate Director of Denver Public Health and Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, offered his views on the current influenza A(H1N1) outbreak and potential implications for the future in an exclusive interview with Pulmonary Reviews.

• Is this current flu outbreak cause for alarm and panic?
• At this point, how severe is this epidemic?
• How bad can this situation eventually get and what is the likelihood that the current situation will become more serious?

More Q&A at Pulmonary Reviews, a monthly news magazine for physicians who specialize in pulmonary and/or critical care medicine.

NIH set to begin clinical trials of H1N1 vaccine

As of July 22 the National Institutes of Health has eight H1N1 clinical trials listed on clinicaltrials.gov.

Trials are poised to begin recruiting adults, elderly and pediatric patients to test the safety of the vaccines.