News Reports for January 22, 2013

Mexico: Sonora detect outbreaks of influenza A and B (Yucatan)

Translated

It is necessary to strengthen preventive measures for influenza, health authorities said, after finding 29 cases of influenza type A and B in Sonora.

(Snip) in the current winter season 2012-2013, were detected to date, 24 cases of influenza type B and five of type A.

(Snip) since last October have been studied a total of 72 samples in the State Health Laboratory of patients with suspected influenza, however only 29 have been positive.

Alba Olvera said that there have been no cases of H1N1, nor deaths from the disease, (Snip).  http://www.laverdadyucatan.com...
 

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 06:29:31 AM UTC

First Recombinant Flu Vaccine

Amid a severe flu season, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week (January 16) approved the first recombinant flu vaccine, Flublok, which protects against two influenza A strains, H1N1 and H3N2, and an influenza B strain virus. Flublok, which is composed of three influenza hemagglutinins (HA)-proteins required for influenza virus to enter human cells-will have a limited release this flu season and be fully released for the 2013-2014 season. It is the first flu vaccine to take advantage of recombinant technologies and is manufactured partly within insect cells, in contrast to previous vaccines based on weakened or inactivated flu viruses that are made in chicken eggs.

"This approval represents a technological advance in the manufacturing of an influenza vaccine," Karen Midthun, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in the announcement. "The new technology offers the potential for faster start-up of the vaccine manufacturing process in the event of a pandemic, because it is not dependent on an egg supply or on availability of the influenza virus."

In initial trials that included 2,300 people at various sites in the United States, Flublock, produced by Protein Sciences Corporation in Meriden, Connecticut, was 44.6 percent effective at protecting participants from all the types of circulating flu. Continued: http://www.the-scientist.com/?...

(Note: It's 44.6% effective. Hmmm, not impressive, IMO).

Wikipedia: Recombinant DNA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 06:51:17 AM UTC

India: Doctor tested positive for Swine Flu (Haryana)

Fatehabad (Har), Jan 21 (PTI) A doctor at a government hospital here was found to be affected by Swine Flu (Snip).  Dr Hanuman Singh, a physician at Civil Hospital here was ill for the last four days and his blood test report confirmed that he is suffering from swine flu (Snip). He has been sent on leave for treatment (Snip).

A special ward for Swine Flu patients has been created in the hospital with facilities like ventilators (Snip). Last week a case of swine flu was found in Tohana and the lady patient was sent to Hisar. http://www.moneycontrol.com/ne...

Map link: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl...
 

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 07:02:28 AM UTC

New Coronavirus-Like Virus Found In Bats

TORONTO - (Updated: 01/21/2013) Viruses closely related to the new coronavirus that emerged last year in the Middle East have been discovered in specimens from a number of species of bats found widely throughout Europe and beyond, a new study shows.

The work suggests bats common to Europe, Russia, parts of Asia and Africa and the Middle East may carry viruses that are very closely related to the new coronavirus, called EMC 2012.

The study will be published in the March issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

The findings, while interesting, don't help to narrow down how a dozen or more people in three countries have been sickened by the new virus, or whether more have been infected but have escaped notice because their symptoms were mild.

The researchers said bats from the Arabian Peninsula should be tested to see if they carry similar viruses. But senior author Dr. Christian Drosten cautioned that because of the wide geographic distribution of these bats, it cannot be concluded that the bat virus that evolved into the new coronavirus did so in the Middle East. "It could have come up in any other region where those bats are prevalent," said Drosten, a coronavirus expert and director of the Institute of Virology at the University of Bonn Medical Centre in Germany.

While it is believed the new virus came from bats, it's not known whether it moved directly from bats to people - through exposure to bat guano or urine, for instance - or whether some other animal or animals such as some form of livestock became infected and passed the virus on.

The SARS coronavirus, a cousin of EMC 2012, evolved from a bat virus that made its way into wild animals - civet cats and raccoon dogs - that are eaten as delicacies in China. "We don't know (yet) what the raccoon dog is for this virus, but there may be one," Drosten said.

He and colleagues had done previous research on bats in Ghana and in four countries in Europe - the Netherlands, Romania, Germany and Ukraine. As a result of that earlier work, they had stored fecal samples from nearly 5,000 bats. After EMC 2012 emerged, they tested the samples looking for coronaviruses.

They found previously unknown viruses related to the new coronavirus in nearly 25 per cent of Nycteris bats, and 15 per cent of Pipistrellus bats. The viruses from the latter were most closely related to EMC 2012. In one case, the genetic codes differed by less than two per cent. Three of four Pipistrellus bat species tested positive for the similar coronaviruses, Drosten said. "The whole Old World region is full of different Pipistrellus species. And I wouldn't be surprised if all of them contain related viruses." So if these bats commonly carry viruses similar to the new coronavirus and carry them throughout many parts of the world, why have infections only been seen in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan? And why now?

Do the cases - nine confirmed plus a similar number of probable cases - represent multiple introductions of virus from bats to people, like sparks from a fire? Or did the virus jump once and spread, mostly unseen, from person to person? At present, those questions have no answers. But there are ways to find clues, particularly to the question of whether the virus made multiple jumps from its bat reservoir. Continued: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 08:32:40 AM UTC

Indonesian Bird Flu Outbreak 'Has Only Infected Ducks'

January 18, 2013

Indonesian health officials have downplayed concerns over a fresh outbreak of avian influenza which has killed some 160,000 reared ducks since September 2012.

"So far no Indonesians have been infected by the new clade [virus group] of the H5N1 virus," Tjandra Yoga Aditama, the director of disease control and public health at the Health Ministry, told IRIN.

"The outbreak has only affected ducks. There have been no known cases in humans," said Muhammad Azhar, coordinator of the Avian Influenza Disease Control Unit. "We have taken necessary measures to control the outbreak."

More than a dozen subsets of the H5N1 virus have been identified ­- with numerous variants within each clade. Although new to Indonesia, clade 2.3.2 H5N1 has been circulating across Asia for several years, say experts.

Reared ducks began dying on Indonesia's populous Java Island in September, with the disease spreading to 80 villages in 12 of Indonesia's 34 provinces. Affected ducks show clinical symptoms such as torticollis, paralysis, seizures, incoordination, and sudden death.

Most poultry kept by Indonesians are chickens; only a small minority keep ducks.

"The origin of the infection was apparently uncertified imported ducks," said Emil Agustiono, head of the National Commission on Zoonosis. "But luckily we have discovered the vaccine [for poultry] and will start production in February. For now we're using the old vaccine and it's still effective."

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com...

United we stand: Divided we fall
www.flunewsnetwork.com

---

by: cottontop @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 11:49:50 AM UTC

Comment

"For now we're using the old vaccine and it's still effective."

I don't believe that statement is true. The old vaccine is not effective on the same clade 2.3.2 H5N1 strain presently circulating in China and Vietnam. China recently developed a new vaccine for it because of it's ineffectiveness. I haven't seen any published proof on whether it is working well or not. JMO

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 15:52:21 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Man Claims Spray Kills Flu Virus on Surfaces

(Note: I'm not promoting this product or telling you that it works. I don't know anything about it other than what is in the video. I'm just posting this here as a way of bringing you a variety of news on the flu.)

Video:
http://www.aol.com/video/man-c...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 15:05:49 PM UTC

The first swine flu infection in Sulaimaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan

SULÊMANÎ, Kurdistan region 'Iraq',- Health Minister in Kurdistan Regional Government, Dr. Mohamed Rashid announced that the first infection of swine flu recorded Monday in Sulaimaniyah to a woman at the age of 64 years.

He pointed out that the infected woman is now under intensive care, noting that the relevant authorities have taken all the necessary measures to control the disease, adding that the infected woman's health is stable for the time being.

The minister noted that any death or other infection cases have not recorded so far.

In June 2009, six cases of swine flu H1N1 have been recorded in Sulaimaniyah province, and three more cases of swine flu recorded 2 days later. In 2009 death cases of the Swine Flu in Kurdistan Region hit 6. The infections with Swine Flu (H1N1) virus in Kurdistan Region reached to 68, 4 in Duhok, of them died, 42 in Erbil 2 of them died and 22 in Sulaimaniyah 3 of them died and other cases got the required treatment and left the hospital, the official Spokesman of health ministry in Kurdistan Regional Government Dr. Khalis Qadir said in Dec.2009. Continued: http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/ar...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 15:11:19 PM UTC

US: Flu Outbreak - Why Paid Sick Days Matter

We are in the midst of one of the worst flu seasons in recent memory. By the end of it, about 60 million Americans are likely to contact influenza, over 200,000 will probably to be hospitalized and tens of thousands will have died. While we typically look to doctors and medicines in a health crisis, we should recognize that guaranteeing paid sick days to workers could do as much, if not more, to help moderate the impact of influenza and other contagious diseases.

Every other industrialized nation in the world guarantees this right, but very few places in the U.S. do; they include a handful of cities like San Francisco, Milwaukee, Washington and Seattle - and one lone state: Connecticut. What that means is if you live anywhere else in the nation, you can be fired for missing work because of an illness or for caring for a sick family member. About 40% of workers in the U.S. do not get paid sick days - the Department of Labor classifies it as a "benefit," not a right protected by law.

This is not just inhumane but a matter of public health. The jobs with the most contact with the public are the least likely to provide sick days, such as the hospitality and food-service industries. For example, when you go to purchase a cup of coffee or eat a restaurant, know that almost all (76%) of the people serving you are likely to show up to work sick, because not doing so means not getting paid and could mean getting fired. Scholars have a name for this - presenteeism: being at work when you otherwise should not be for fear of losing your job or being viewed by your boss as lazy or unreliable. This is a real problem; over two-thirds of American workers report having gone to work even though they knew they had an infectious disease and as a result, about one-third of us have reported getting the flu from a colleague. Continued: http://ideas.time.com/2013/01/...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 15:24:52 PM UTC

TIME Explains: The Flu and How it Spreads

Video: http://www.time.com/time/video...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 15:27:05 PM UTC

Bhutan: Culling in Gelephu

(Hat tip to Mojo for sending this article to me to post.)

Bird Flu Outbreak: More than 396 birds of 46 households were culled in Namkhaling village, Gelephu, following an outbreak of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5NI in the locality.

(Snip) the outbreak was first reported in the police colony on January 14, when residents reported poultry deaths to livestock extension centre officials. Rapid tests at the satellite veterinary laboratory in Gelephu tested the samples positive for influenza A and H5.  Livestock officials also sent dead birds to the national centre for animal health in Serbithang, Thimphu, where the carcasses tested positive for bird flu.

On January 18, 52 birds had died in five households, while more than 150 birds were at risk in Namkhaling village.  All affected birds were of local breed and reared under scavenging or free-ranging system.  The birds showed post-mortem lesions, which are very typical of bird flu.

(Snip)

(Snip) more than 269 eggs were disposed, and 49 coops dismantled in Namkhaling. Two vehicle disinfection points have been set up along the Gelephu-Sarpang and Gelephu-Zhemgang highways (Snip).

(Snip) such steps are taken to control and prevent the disease from spreading, as there are many poultry farms in Sarpang, including commercial farms. "The movement of poultry-related products from the affected area have been restricted for safety," he said.

Nearby poultry farms have been alerted to increase their bio-security measures, and are advised to inform officials of any death or sickness of any poultry. (Snip). Meanwhile, the outbreak has affected poultry owners in the locality. "I've taken loan to open this farm and I don't know how I'll repay the loan if I have to cull," a resident of Pemaling, Nima, said. http://www.kuenselonline.com/c...

 

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 18:43:07 PM UTC

China: Hong Kong bans import of poultry eggs from Miaoli County, Taiwan

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department received notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) today (January 21) that there have been outbreaks of H5N2 avian influenza on poultry farms in Miaoli and Penghu counties in Taiwan. The CFS announced that import of poultry eggs from Miaoli County would be banned with immediate effect whereas import of those from Penghu County has been banned since November 23 last year.

(Snip) Hong Kong does not import any live poultry or poultry meat from Taiwan, but a small quantity of poultry eggs is imported from Taiwan. (Snip) poultry eggs imported from Taiwan were not supplied by Miaoli County.

"We will closely monitor information issued by the OIE on the avian influenza outbreak and the latest situation in Taiwan (Snip). http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/gen...  

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 19:08:58 PM UTC

Taiwan farms avian flu ban Miaoli, Penghu counties eggs

Translated

BEIJING, Jan. 22, according to Taiwan's "Central News Agency" reports, the Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety said on the 21st, received the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) informed that the poultry operation in Miaoli County, Taiwan and the Penghu outbreak of H5N1 avian flu, the Hong Kong real-time prohibition eggs imported; Miaoli County has banned the import of the Penghu eggs, on November 23 last year.

(Snip) Hong Kong has no live poultry and poultry meat imports from Taiwan, but there is a small amount of eggs imported.

(Snip)

Taiwan eggs of other non-epidemic origin can still be exported to Hong Kong, Taiwan's Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Bureau Deputy Secretary Huang Guoqing said that on the evening of the 21st.  http://news.google.com/news/ur...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 19:15:08 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Correct link:

http://www.sh.chinanews.com.cn...

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. --Unknown

     

---

by: Carol@SC @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 19:18:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

5th Flu-Related Death in Nueces County

http://www.kristv.com/news/5th...
January 22, 2013
Corpus Christi, Texas:  A fifth person has died from the flu in Nueces county.  Health officials say a woman between the ages of 70 to 80 years old, with a history of diabetes, died after being in the hospital for two weeks.  So far, four women and one man have died from the flu.  They all had pre-existing conditions. The women have been between 65 and 85 years old while the man was between the ages of 30 to 40.

"I am opposed to any form of tyranny over the mind of man."  Thomas Jefferson

---

by: History Lover @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 19:53:11 PM UTC

Drive-through Flu Shots Gaining Popularity in U.S.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ro...

PHARMA & HEALTHCARE | 1/22/2013 @ 1:14AM
Robert Glatter, MD, Contributor

Across the US, many communities have started to embrace the concept of "drive-through flu shots". Just as simple as it sounds, you just drive up, roll up your sleeve, and get vaccinated right in the comfort of your vehicle. Shots take as little as 1-2 minutes to complete, with typical waiting times less than 15-20 minutes at most organized events.

Receiving the vaccine in a parking lot organized for administration of flu vaccines is essentially no different than receiving it in a doctor's office. Trained nurses administer the shot in both settings- except that it is much more convenient to have it done in a drive-through. Some have questioned whether receiving it in your vehicle put you at higher risk for developing an infection at the injection site. Based on initial reports from such events, there has been no higher rate of infection after such drive-through vaccinations.

[snip]

The goal of the pilot program was to evaluate how long it would take to vaccinate a community in the event that mass vaccinations (from a flu pandemic) were required in a short period of time.

In fact, Dr. Ruth Carrico and her colleagues from the University of Louisville published their experience in the Journal of Emergency Management in June 2012 demonstrating the safety and feasibility of a drive-through flu shot program with 50,000 doses administered over a 15 year period-with no increase noted in motor vehicle collisions or episodes of fainting (syncope) after receiving the vaccine.

---

by: bgw in MT @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 21:06:34 PM UTC

Flu guidance issued for federal workplace

http://www.washingtonpost.com/...

Posted by Eric Yoder on January 22, 2013 at 6:00 am

[snip]
"Where necessary, agencies should consider implementing social distancing, including the use of telework."

Federal employees have available to them various forms of time off, including sick leave and annual leave - vacation time - to care for themselves or family members. Employees who have been exposed to influenza may use sick leave even if they are not ill, if a doctor or health authorities feel their exposure to the influenza would put others at risk; a similar policy applies to family members exposed to the flu.

Agencies also may put employees under alternative work schedules that allow them to adjust their arrival and departure time to accommodate medical appointments and other personal needs while making up the hours at other times, OPM said. Similarly, it noted that one reason it has been encouraging agencies to promote telework is its value for continuity of operations during emergency situations such as a flu pandemic.

Supervisors have the authority to place employees involuntarily on paid, excused absence and order them  to stay at home or away from the workplace, it said, but only based on objective evidence that the employees are physically unable to perform their jobs, or pose a risk to themselves or others.

The memo also reminded agencies of previous guidance encouraging employees to get flu shots, which are available for free in many federal workplace health clinics.

---

by: bgw in MT @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 21:21:34 PM UTC

Local [Boston] scientists searching for flu fighters

http://bostonglobe.com/busines...

Look for all-purpose vaccines to inhibit multiple strains

By Karen Weintraub |  GLOBE CORRESPONDENT     JANUARY 22, 2013

JONATHAN WIGGS/GLOBE STAFF

Yadunanda Budigi, senior scientist at Visterra in Cambridge. The company will begin human trials of its flu vaccine in 2014.

As we sniffle, suffer, and stress about lurking germs, researchers across the Boston area are developing new ways of fighting the flu.

A start-up in Cambridge is making a drug - so far, effective in mice - intended to treat most forms of the flu and prevent its spread. Scientists in Boston are creating vaccines that would fight a variety of strains, so people wouldn't need to get an annual shot. And researchers in Worcester are trying to predict how the flu virus is evolving so that the shots are better matched to each year's strains.

"I wouldn't be working on this kind of stuff if I weren't excited about it and believe that research in these directions will lead to much improved vaccines and therapeutics," said Stephen Harrison, a professor at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School who is researching ways to improve flu vaccines.

The first set of improvements is likely to come from tinkering with existing vaccines. Novartis, whose global vaccine development program is based in Cambridge, is developing additives that will boost the effectiveness of current vaccines. It is also working on a new way to make flu vaccines, without relying on eggs.
[continued at link]

---

by: bgw in MT @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 21:27:48 PM UTC

Flu epidemic causes blood donor shortage

http://www.ktsm.com/news/flu-e...

Kay Recede
Multimedia Journalist

POSTED: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 - 2:28am
UPDATED: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 - 7:10am

EL PASO - One simple blood donation can save three lives, but the recent flu epidemic has not only affected more than 1,900 people region wide, it's affected El Paso's blood supply.

United Blood Services officials say blood can't be manufactured, blood can only be donated. UBS serves 18 different hospitals all the way from Van Horn to Deming, New Mexico. With such a large area to serve, it's especially important to donate to help save a life.

"Normally at this time of the year we are recovering from the holidays. But because of the fact that we've had some bad weather and the flu epidemic, it causes a big problem for blood banks. Not just here but all over the country there is a shortage everywhere," LuAnn Wieland, the Communications Manager for UBS says.

UBS also states it only takes about half an hour to 45 minutes to donate blood, and your donation will help save three lives. However, there are some limitation and a donor can only donate every 56 days, weigh at least 110 pounds, and you may also be deferred for 24 hours if your iron is too low.

For more information - http://www.unitedbloodservices...

---

by: bgw in MT @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 21:32:28 PM UTC

N.J. flu sufferers: Should you go to the ER?

http://www.nj.com/news/index.s...

By Kathleen O'Brien/The Star-Ledger
on January 22, 2013 at 6:30 AM, updated January 22, 2013 at 7:35 AM

NOTE: I read this article and pondered how to cut it, and just couldn't bring myself to do it. You need to read the entire article. It is truly excellent and contains much information that everyone should know. You never know when a flu emergency could happen in your family. This articles gives you guidelines on whether a trip to the emergency room for a flu patient is called for.

---

by: bgw in MT @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 22:24:40 PM UTC

Volatile flu season continues to cause grief in central Ohio

http://www.thisweeknews.com/co...

By GARY SEMAN JR.
Tuesday January 22, 2013 11:42 AM

[snip]
When it appeared influenza-associated illnesses and hospitalizations were trending down after the holidays, some indicators have increased -- while others have decreased -- since then, health officials said last week. That means central Ohioans aren't out of the woods yet, said Jose Rodriguez, spokesman for Columbus Public Health.

"We continue to see changes on a weekly basis," he said. "We're still at the beginning of the peak of the flu season so we don't know where we might end up in the next few weeks."

According to the most recent data compiled through Jan. 12, the percentage of emergency-room visits for influenza-like illness and respiratory symptoms both decreased compared to the previous week.

Yet the percentages in each of those categories are similar to their weekly historical baseline averages.

However, trends for all local over-the-counter medication sales -- cough and cold, electrolytes, thermometers and the like -- increased from the previous week.

[continued at link]

---

by: bgw in MT @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 22:33:27 PM UTC

Breakdown of Flu Deaths in Indiana

http://tristatehomepage.com/fu...

By: Michael C. Fehn
Updated: January 22, 2013

Indiana health officials say there have been 27 deaths reportedly linked to the recent flu outbreak.

17 of those were reported last week. Twenty of those people had other medical conditions, like heart disease.  Nine had received a flu shot and two were children.

Flu cases seem to have hit a plateau and are declining in many states, but officials think the peak has not yet hit Indiana.

---

by: bgw in MT @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 22:43:47 PM UTC

Egg allergic children did not have adverse reactions to single dose of influenza vaccine in multi-center study

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_...

Ann Arbor, Mich. - Egg allergic children, including those with a history of anaphylaxis to egg, can safely receive a single dose of the seasonal influenza vaccine, according to a new study from the University of Michigan.

Historically, the CDC recommended that the seasonal influenza vaccine not be administered to egg allergic children. Recent research conducted at the University of Michigan, and elsewhere, helped modify this recommendation in 2011 so that caution was warranted for only those with severe egg allergy.

The new study, published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, is good news for children who've had severe egg allergies, given the prevalence of the flu this season. In the study, none of the children with severe egg allergies developed an allergic reaction after receiving the vaccine, says Matthew Greenhawt, M.D., M.B.A., MSc, lead author of the study and assistant professor of allergy and immunology at the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

"The flu vaccine is grown in embryonated chicken eggs and contains residual amounts of ovalbumin, a major egg allergen. This has historically raised concern about the safety of the vaccine in children with egg allergies," says Greenhawt.

[snip]

Greenhawt says the only precaution needed is that egg-allergic children should be observed for 30 minutes after vaccination in any medical setting, including primary care providers' offices, where an allergic reaction could be recognized and treated should it occur.

---

by: bgw in MT @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 23:02:53 PM UTC

Free Flu Shot Clinic For Philadelphia Restaurant Workers Today

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.c...

January 22, 2013 7:04 AM
Reporting Kim Glovas

By Kim Glovas

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Restaurant Week started Sunday, right in the middle of the current flu outbreak. But, an organization advocating for restaurant workers is offering free flu shots today to minimize the impact.

[snip]

"This is an issue that really has a disproportionate impact on restaurant workers because, according to our research, 93 percent of restaurant workers in Philadelphia don't have paid sick days and 95 percent don't have health insurance. And in an industry where there's so much contact with the public - and during Restaurant Week - we feel that it's a public health issue."

[snip]

---

by: bgw in MT @ Tue Jan 22, 2013 at 23:16:09 PM UTC

Please post new news stories ...

...to News Reports for January 23, 2013

Thank you!

---

by: AlohaOR @ Wed Jan 23, 2013 at 05:18:20 AM UTC