26 Jun - 30 Aug
National Flu Pandemic Help

The National Pandemic Flu Service has been launched in England offering the public the chance to check their symptoms online or over the telephone (0800 1 513513) and get access to anti-viral medicines.

03 May - 30 Aug
NHS 24 - Swine Flu advice in Scotland

Advice regarding the Swine Flu symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and advice for Scottish patients and practices.

02 May - 30 Aug
N.I Direct - Swine Flu Info

For patients in Northern Ireland, visit the NI Direct website or contact the Swine Flu Helpline: 0800 0514 142 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).

01 May - 30 Aug
NHS Direct Wales - Swine Flu Advice

Advice regarding the Swine Flu symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and advice for Welsh patients and practices.

The World Health Organization has said healthy patients who catch swine flu do not need to be treated with Tamiflu.

Every accident and emergency department should have a specialist cancer team to make patient care safer, say government advisors.

The genetics underpinning a smoker's risk of developing lung cancer are further unpicked by UK scientists.

People with conditions such as HIV, TB and malaria should not rely on homeopathic treatments, the World Health Organization warns.

The number of people managing to stop smoking with NHS help has fallen slightly in the past year despite a huge increase in funding.

Hopes for 'simple' endometriosis test

Scientists develop a quick and simple way to diagnose endometriosis, without requiring surgery.

Tories are party of NHS - Cameron

David Cameron bids to recover from criticism of the Conservative Party stance on the NHS by setting out his vision of reform.

Primary liver cancers 'soaring'

Cases of primary liver cancer, an often preventable disease, have trebled in the last 30 years, figures suggests.

Wales' largest hospital may have to remove all the bodies stored there in addition to ceasing post-mortem examinations.

Candle-lit dinners may be romantic, but researchers are warning they could be harmful to health.

AP - Thirteen-year-old Andrea Levy ticked off a mental list of rules to follow when her guest arrived: Greet her at the door. Introduce her to the family. Offer a cold drink.

AP - Health officials are offering some basic advice for college students with flu symptoms: Avoid other people until 24 hours after a fever is gone.

AP - The global spread of swine flu will endanger more lives as it speeds up in the coming months and governments must boost preparations for a swift response to a coming "explosion" of cases, the World Health Organization said Friday.

AP - With control of the health care debate slipping from his grasp, President Barack Obama pitched his ambitious plan to both conservative talk radio and his own liberal supporters Thursday — and denied a challenge from one backer that he was "bucklin' a little bit" under Republican criticism.

AP - New research says the best way to protect society's most vulnerable from the flu: Vaccinate school-age children and their parents.

AP - Some childhood lead poisonings in Maine last year came from an unusual source — lead dust tracked into the family car.

Reuters - Teens aren't the only ones glued to the video game console. According to a new survey, the average video gamer in the U.S. today is 35 years old -- and not all that healthy physically or emotionally.

AP - Traffic noise could be ruining the sex lives of urban frogs by drowning out the seductive croaks of amorous males, an Australian researcher said Friday.

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Back-to-school time means lots of preparation for parents, including the prospect of buying shoes for their children.

The countries and overseas territories/communities that have newly reported their first pandemic (H1N1) 2009 confirmed case(s) since the last web update (No. 61) as of 13 August 2021 are:

Ghana, Zambia, and Tuvalu

31 July 2021 – Research conducted in the USA and published 29 July in The Lancet has drawn attention to an increased risk of severe or fatal illness in pregnant women when infected with the H1N1 pandemic virus.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 61

The countries and overseas territories/communities that have newly reported their first pandemic (H1N1) 2009 confirmed case(s) since the last web update (No. 60) as of 6 August 2021 are:

Timore-Leste, Pakistan, Kirabati, Maldives, French Guiana, Falkland Islands (UKOT), Wallis and Futuna (FOC)

Pandemic influenza vaccine manufacturing process and timeline

It takes approximately five to six months for the first supplies of approved vaccine to become available once a new strain of influenza virus with pandemic potential is identified and isolated. These months are needed because the process of producing a new vaccine involves many sequential steps, and each of these steps requires a certain amount of time to complete. The vaccine development process from start (obtaining a virus sample) to end (availability of vaccine for use) is summarized below.

Safety of pandemic vaccines

6 August 2021 - WHO is aware of some media reports that have expressed concern about the safety of vaccines for pandemic influenza. The public needs to be reassured that regulatory procedures in place for the licensing of pandemic vaccines, including procedures for expediting regulatory approval, are rigorous and do not compromise safety or quality controls.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 60

31 July 2021

Pandemic influenza in pregnant women

31 July 2021 – Research conducted in the USA and published 29 July in The Lancet has drawn attention to an increased risk of severe or fatal illness in pregnant women when infected with the H1N1 pandemic virus.

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - update 59

27 July 2021 09:00 GMT

Preliminary information important for understanding the evolving situation

24 July 2021 – The number of human cases of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 is still increasing substantially in many countries, even in countries that have already been affected for some time.

Changes in reporting requirements for pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus infection

16 July 2021 -- WHO will no longer issue the global tables showing the numbers of confirmed cases for all countries. But as part of continued efforts to document the global spread of the pandemic (H1N1) 2009, regular updates will be provided describing the situation in the newly affected countries.