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All children could be vaccinated against flu
All children could be vaccinated against flu under plans being considered by the Government.
Scientists are investigating whether all children should be protected against flu or only certain age groups, Prof David Salisbury, director of immunisation at the Department of Health told The Daily Telegraph.
It comes after Government advisors called for all pregnant women to be offered the vaccine. Research has shown it can protect the newborn baby for up to six months, when they are at their most vulnerable.
Prof Salisbury said both plans are "actively on the agenda".
"We are looking very carefully at the evidence. It is very easy to underestimate the burden of flu in children, it is not necessarily picked up as flu. There are deaths from flu in children."
He said that in one year, 20 children died from the disease. Mathematical modelling is being carried out to determine which age groups need to be vaccinated and what the up-take rates would need to be for there to be a significant drop in the number of cases.
Earlier this year the Health Protection Agency published research showing that vaccinating children under the age of two could reduce cases of influenza A by between 11 per cent and 22 per cent and influenza B by up to a third. Influenza A and B are two species of the virus that cause flu.
If vaccinations were extended to the under fives, cases of influenza A would be reduced by between 22 per cent and 38 per cent depending on how many children had the jab and cases of influenza B would be cut by between 44 per cent and 69 per cent.
The largest effect was found if all children under 16 were offered the vaccine, with up to 97 per cent of cases of influenza A prevented along with 96 per cent of influenza B.
If all under 16s were offered the flu jab it would mean an extra 10 million vaccines would be needed, taking the total to more than 25m each year.
More research is being carried out to establish if this is cost-effective.
Prof Salisbury said: "We need to know if vaccinating children on an annual basis is a good use of resources and that is where we have got. We need to wait for the outcome."
In America all pregnant women and all children from the age of six month to 18 are routinely offered the seasonal influenza vaccine as part of the national programme as they are amongst the most likely to be admitted to hospital with complications if they contract the virus.
In the UK only the elderly and people at risk of complications because they have long-term conditions like lung disease, multiple sclerosis or severe asthma are routinely offered the jab.
Prof Salisbury said millions more people under the age of 65 with these conditions should be vaccinated. All children could be vaccinated against flu under plans being considered by the Government. ... more -
Jackson postpones two concerts after hospital stay
Jackson checked into Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal and was discharged two hours later, said Rebecca Burns, a spokeswoman for the hospital. Jackson checked into Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal and was discharged two hours later, said Rebecca Burns, a spokeswoman for the... more
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Dramatic Spike in Sickdays Caused by Downturn: "can't come in today, I&#...
The credit crunch is proving bad for our physical as well as our financial well-being.
Companies are recording a dramatic leap in the number of workers off sick.
Personnel experts say constant worries over jobs, family finances and the global economy have weakened immune systems and led to flu and gastrointestinal complaints.
They also blame rising food prices for contributing to the mass sickness epidemic as cash-strapped shoppers switch to cheap food rather than more healthy fruit and veg.
Latest figures from leading absence management company FirstCare suggest more than 380,000 people are ringing in sick every day after being struck down by either flu-like symptoms or stomach problems.
Aaron Ross, managing director of FirstCare, said: 'The credit crunch is beginning to impact on our health and productivity.
'We have seen a steady growth in sickness rates over the last 10 days, and they have been going up and up for a while.
'We have not seen anything like this before, it is very, very unusual. We occasionally see a spike in absence related to a single event, which rapidly goes down, but this has not, and there is no indication it will do.'
FirstCare records absences and excuses given for employees of scores of companies including Coca Cola, British Gas and Britain's biggest employer, the NHS.
It says in the last 10 days the number of people phoning in sick with flu-like complaints has almost doubled, and those with gastrointestinal problems - like ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) - have risen by a third.
Mr Ross said: 'This represents a significant loss of working time. We would expect to see seasonal trends of approximately 308 out of every 100,000 employees absent for flu like symptoms, but this has shot up to 585.
'For gastrointestinal problems, the average of 524 absentees per 100,000 staff has risen to a record level of 697.
'Stress has also gone through the roof in the last two months. Now people are feeling it in their pocket, they are worrying about their own jobs.'
Mapped across Britain's workforce, the figures suggest around 175,000 a day are calling in sick with flu-like symptoms, and more than 205,000 staying at home with gastrointestinal problems.
Mr Ross said: 'Such significant increases will no doubt have an effect on productivity, as well as putting strain on other staff. It is a nightmare for businesses who may be struggling in the current climate to lose employees.
'It is particularly interesting that we have seen a simultaneous increase in these two ailments as they are both linked to the immune system.
'Given the current economic climate, employees feel uncertain about the future, and this stress has an adverse effect on the immune system, making us more susceptible to coughs, colds, flu and gastrointestinal complaints.
'Our immune systems are also taking a hit as a result of the high cost of fresh fruit and vegetables. As employees feel the pinch at the checkout, fresh produce is increasingly substituted for less nutritious budget options.'
Mr Ross said the company first noticed the steady increase in illnesses surge after the collapse of Lehman Brothers bank.
He added: 'I think in the last 10 days the public have been made more aware of the sense of crisis in the financial system.
'After Lehman Brothers collapsed, with thousands of people threatened with the loss of their jobs, people started worrying about their own jobs.
'And those who are off sick may feel they are more likely to lose their jobs if redundancies have to be made, which can make them worse - there is a perpetual circle.' The credit crunch is proving bad for our physical as well as our financial well-being. ... more -
Coming to Britain: the Australian flu virus
A flu virus more deadly than any seen in two decades is threatening Britain.
The strain originates in Australia where it has claimed hundreds of lives, including those of children.
Called Brisbane H3N2, it is so virulent that health chiefs have had to change the make-up of flu vaccines to deal with it.
It affects three times the number of victims hit by other strains, with many deaths resulting from pneumonia.
Viruses from the southern hemisphere strike in their winter months - our summer - and tend to travel north for our winter.
And although that did not happen after Brisbane H3N2 ravaged Australia last year, experts fear Europe will not escape it this winter.
Hugh Pennington, professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University, said: 'If this flu has been busy in Australia, it is reasonable to suppose that we may get a similar situation in the UK. Viruses travel round the world very quickly now.
We have had some very quiet flu years recently and every year we have to assume that it will be busier than last year.
'Sooner or later we will have a big outbreak, and the more cases there are, the more deaths there will be.
'There is no doubt that elderly people are more at risk. It can tear through an old folk's home and cause a lot of harm.'
Experts speculated that several winters of mild flu had left the population with little immunity. Last year the Australian inventor of the flu vaccine, Dr Graeme Laver, said the outbreak in his country meant Britain was also in danger. 'If the seasonal flu is as bad as it was in Australia, you are in for a pretty bad time,' he said.
'You could have a really severe epidemic. Thousands will be ill and many will die.'
The World Health Organisation and Sanofi Pasteur, a vaccine manufacturer, have combined the Brisbane strain with two others, one also named after the city, in their latest flu vaccine. A flu virus more deadly than any seen in two decades is threatening Britain. ... more -
Breakthrough For Flu Research
Breakthrough For Flu Research
Survivors of the deadliest flu pandemic on record may hold the key to fighting outbreaks in the future. Priya David reports. Breakthrough For Flu Research ... more -
Flu shots for moms-to-be protect newborns
Pregnant women who get a seasonal flu shot can protect their newborn as well, U.S. researchers said.
Researchers at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore observed a 63-percent reduction in proven influenza illness among infants born to vaccinated mothers while the number of serious respiratory illnesses to both mothers and infants dropped by 36 percent.
The study was conducted in Bangladesh in collaboration with researchers from the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research. Researchers observed 340 mothers and their infants. The mothers were randomly selected to receive either flu vaccine or pneumococcal vaccine.
"Even though there is no flu vaccine for these children, our study shows that a newborn's risk of infection can be greatly reduced by vaccinating mom during pregnancy. It's a two-for-one benefit," senior author Dr. Mark Steinhoff said in a statement. "Infants under 6 months have the highest rates of hospitalization from influenza among U.S. children. These admission rates are higher than those for the elderly and other high-risk adult groups."
The findings were presented at the National Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting in Washington and is to be published in the Oct. 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Pregnant women who get a seasonal flu shot can protect their newborn as well, U.S. researchers said. ... more -
Screw the Sudafed: when your nose ain't great, masturbate!
Turns out that all those expensive cold remedies could be a waste of time after a new study into nasal congestion has unearthed a rather unusual treatment for men; masturbating!
According to a paper in the Journal of Medical Hypotheses, a man ejaculating could be "a potential treatment of nasal congestion in mature males."
"The emission phase of ejaculation is under the control of the sympathetic nervous system, which of course has lots of adrenergic receptors. The author reasons that ejaculation will stimulation adrenergic receptors in the refractory period immediately afterward, and stimulation of your adrenergic receptors will give you relief from your cold."
And what's even better than that? The author believes that with the correct planning, that us men could keep our nasal passages clear for the rest of our lives! Turns out that all those expensive cold remedies could be a waste of time after a new study into nasal congestion has unearthed a rath... more -
Body exhumed in fight against flu
The body of an aristocrat who died nearly 90 years ago has been exhumed in the hope that it will help scientists combat a future flu pandemic.
Yorkshire landowner Sir Mark Sykes died in France in 1919 from Spanish flu. Sir Mark was buried in a lead coffin which scientists hope may have helped preserve the virus. They believe his remains will help piece together the DNA of Spanish flu, which could have a similar genetic structure to modern bird flu.
This knowledge, added to major breakthroughs by American scientists last year, could help prevent a modern pandemic through the development of new drugs. A church court covering the Diocese of York has authorised the exhumation of the body of Sir Mark, who owned historic Sledmere House near Driffield, after permission was given by his grandchildren. His body will have to be examined in a special air-tight laboratory to avoid any risk of contamination.
(continues at link with vid clip) The body of an aristocrat who died nearly 90 years ago has been exhumed in the hope that it will help scientists combat a future flu p... more -
1918 Killer Flu Reconstructed
A flu virus that killed tens of millions worldwide after it appeared in 1918 has been recreated in the virological equivalent of the Jurassic Park story. Scientists rebuilt it from pieces of genetic material retrieved from the lungs of people who died 87 years ago. Researchers writing in the journals Science and Nature say the tightly guarded replica is even more virulent than they expected.
Yet public health officials aren't worried that the 1918 flu will again terrorize the population. But scientists are interested in what it can reveal about future pandemics...
Name: The virus was at the time called the "Spanish Flu" by some. The label came from reports in the medical press that as many 8 million Spanish were killed by it in May 1918. The name is a misnomer, however, it's now thought that the 1918 flu originated in the United States.
Global Death Toll: Estimates range from 20 million to 100 million. Authors of the paper in this week's Nature say 50 million were killed in the pandemic.
Compared with Other Epidemics: The 1918 flu is thought to have killed the most people in the shortest amount of time. However, its spread was aided by modern ships and a world war that required moving huge armies quickly across the globe. The 14th-century's Black Death killed as many as 20 million in Europe alone over a period of two years. However, global population was much smaller, cities weren't as dense, and global transportation relied on wind and animal caravans; considering its high death toll, the bacteria that caused it may have been more deadly.
U.S. Death Toll: About 25 percent of the population was infected, with perhaps 650,000 people dying from the virus.
Symptoms: Normal flu symptoms of fever, nausea, aches and diarrhea. Many developed severe pneumonia attack. Dark spots would appear on the cheeks and patients would turn blue, suffocating from a lack of oxygen as lungs filled with a frothy, bloody substance.
Origins: New research reconstructing the virus suggests it began in birds, then rapidly mutated, leaping to humans.
Ground Zero: Historian John Barry believes the virus made its jump to humans in Kansas. In February 1918, recruits from Haskell County, Kan., reported for duty to Fort Riley, 300 miles away. They were already sick with influenza. Several days after they arrived, flu broke out at the camp. From there it may have spread through the Army to Europe and the rest of the world. It returned to the U.S. in a more lethal form in September 1918, making its first appearance at the Army's Camp Devens, near Boston.
The Victims: Unlike the typical flu, where the highest mortality is in infants and the elderly, the 1918 flu also struck down young, healthy adults. The military, with its overcrowded camps and troops ships, was hit hard. Few were spared: President Woodrow Wilson became ill while negotiating the Treaty of Versailles in early 1919 and had a slow recovery. A flu virus that killed tens of millions worldwide after it appeared in 1918 has been recreated in the virological equivalent of the J... more -
Origins of the 1918 Flu Pandemic
It's not often that you find countries fighting to claim credit for the birth of an epidemic. Take syphilis, a disease which has infected millions -- man, woman and child alike. If you were in Italy when the disease first hit Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries, you called it the "French pox." If you were in France, you called it the "disease of Naples." Or, you could blame it on the Native Americans. Voltaire did. He said Columbus' crew brought it back from the New World.
But when it comes to the deadliest pandemic in history, scientists from two superpowers are calling dibs rather than pointing fingers.
Everyone seems to agree that the 1918 flu epidemic, known as the "Spanish flu," didn't start in Spain. (That name probably came from the fact that only Spain was publishing news about local flu epidemics; there was a blackout on news that might lower morale in Germany, Britain and France.) American experts, such as Jeffrey Taubenberger of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology and historian John M. Barry, back the theory that the virus, which eventually killed 50 million people, got its start in America's heartland.
The made-in-America version goes like this: Loring Miner, a Haskell County, Kansas, doctor raised the first warning, reporting an "influenza of a severe type" circulating in the area. Haskell County boys may have then carried the virus to a Kansas army camp. From there, the virus caught a ride with tens of thousands of young soldiers on their way to Europe.
John Oxford, a professor of virology at Queen Mary's School of Medicine in London, holds to a different theory: the British Empire nurtured the disease.
The British army had an enormous training camp set up in Etaples, France. On any given day, 100,000 soldiers were milling around. Many were on their way to World War I's Western Front; others, wounded, sick, and often prisoners, were on their way back. The camp had 24 hospitals alone and a team of fearful -- but curious -- pathologists. They recorded post mortems on everything that came their way. "They were worried, even at that stage, in 1916, about the possibility of infectious disease decimating the British army, as had happened in the past with typhus and cholera," says Oxford.
Story continued at link... It's not often that you find countries fighting to claim credit for the birth of an epidemic. Take syphilis, a disease which has ... more -
Immune system still fighting the 1918 flu pandemic?
Is it possible that a 90 year old has greater immunity to the flu than a younger person?
90 years ago in 1918, an outbreak of flu swept through the world killing at least 50 million people.
Surprisingly, research out of Vanderbilt University, shows people who lived through the pandemic as children are still producing antibodies to the virus today, even though they are 91 to 101-years-old.
Researchers have determined that the immune system has a long-term memory, particularly to the first flu strain you are exposed to in your lifetime.
Among the 32 elderly people studied, all were born before or during 1915, making them old enough to have developed some antibodies during the pandemic.
The 32 people studied still had antibodies to the 1918 flu virus and some were still producing antibodies.
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It's not that hard to believe. The older generations were exposed to a lot more than things that we were. Maybe we can find better vaccines from studying the blood of the elderly rather than just trying to experiment? Is it possible that a 90 year old has greater immunity to the flu than a younger person? ... more -
Study say 1918 flu survivors still immune
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Antibodies from survivors of the 1918 flu pandemic, the worst in human memory, still protect against the highly deadly virus, researchers reported on Sunday.
The findings by a team of influenza and immune system experts suggest new and better ways to fight viruses -- especially new pandemic strains that emerge and spread before a vaccine can be formulated.
These survivors, now aged 91 to 101, all lived through the pandemic as children.
Their immune systems still carry a memory of that virus and can produce proteins called antibodies that kill the 1918 flu strain with surprising efficiency, the researchers report in the journal Nature.
"It was very surprising that these subjects would still have cells floating in their blood so long afterward," said Dr. James Crowe of Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, who helped lead the study.
The antibodies also protected mice from the 1918 virus, which swept around the world at the end of World War One killing between 50 million and 100 million people, Crowe's team reports in the journal Nature.
"The antibodies that we isolated are remarkable antibodies. They grab onto the virus very tightly and they virtually never fall off," Crowe said in a telephone interview.
"That allows them to kill the 1918 virus with extreme potency, meaning it takes a very small amount of antibody."
Story continued at link... WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Antibodies from survivors of the 1918 flu pandemic, the worst in human memory, still protect against the highly... more -
Cancer-catching clothing to save lives?
Last year, a design student at Cornell University designed a garment that can prevent colds and flu and, crucially, never needs washing, CNN reports.
Meanwhile, Textronics, a Delaware-based company, has developed a sports bra which monitors the heart rate and motion of runners. The company has patented stretchy textile electrodes that can be incorporated into the garments.
Perhaps one of the most exciting developments in this field is ongoing work on a breast screening smart bra which could allow wearers to detect breast cancer at the earliest stage.
Professor Elias Siores, of the University of Bolton, England, says the bra can detect cancer before the tumor can develop and spread into surrounding areas. Crucially, Professor Siores says the bra can also monitor the effectiveness of any breast cancer treatment the wearer is undergoing.
The smart bra works using a microwave antennae system device which is woven into the fabric of the bra. The antennae picks up any abnormal temperature changes in the breast tissue, which are often associated with cancer cells.
It is hoped the bra will be on sale in stores in a couple of years.
However, some remain doubtful as to whether the science behind the bra is achievable. There are also doubts whether the bra could replace traditional screening methods, such as a mammogram.
This is because the idea behind the bra supposes that as tumors grow, there will be a higher demand for blood flow. The increased blood flow then produces elevated temperatures around the affected area of the breast, sending a warning to the wearer.
Critics say blood flow rates could be increased for any number of reasons.
There are benign growths and nonmalignant inflammatory changes, which might also increase blood flow," said Anne Rosenberg, a breast surgeon at Philadelphia's Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Despite the reticence from some quarters, work in this burgeoning field forges ahead.
Scientists in Europe are at at an advanced stage of developing outfits which they say will be able to monitor the body's vital signs and detect illnesses and infections at their earliest stages.
Would you wear health-check garments like this? Can you really rely on them? Is it better to go to the doctor for a check-up once in a while, or are garments like this necessary in a world where seeing a good doctor and getting decent care feels increasingly difficult? Is the development of this kind of clothing just evidence that we've become paranoid about our health, or a sensible step to looking after ourselves? Last year, a design student at Cornell University designed a garment that can prevent colds and flu and, crucially, never needs washin... more -
UW-Madison Team Striving to Stay Ahead of Evolved Influenza Virus
A team of researchers from UW-Madison in Madison, WI, is advancing their effort to fight a strain of the influenza virus that has threatened the Earth with pandemic disease for the last five years. The virus has evolved to resist the only known drugs that could beat it. A team of researchers from UW-Madison in Madison, WI, is advancing their effort to fight a strain of the influenza virus that has thre... more
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Evolution Of Flu Strains Point To Higher Risk Of Pandemic: Study
Some strains of bird flu are coming ever closer to developing the traits they need to cause a human pandemic, a study released Monday said.
Researchers who analysed samples of recent avian flu viruses found that a few H7 strains of the virus that have caused minor, untransmissible infections in people in North America between 2002 and 2004 have increased their affinity for the sugars found on human tracheal cells.
Subsequent tests in ferrets suggested that these viral strains were not readily transmissible.
But one strain of the H7N2 virus, a low pathogenic avian flu strain isolated from a man in New York in 2003, replicated in the ferret's respiratory tract and was passed between infected and uninfected ferrets suggesting it could be transmissible in humans.
The investigators said the evidence suggests that the virus could be evolving toward the same strong sugar-binding properties of the three worldwide viral pandemics in 1918, 1957 and 1968.
"These findings suggest that the H7 class of viruses are partially adapted to recognize the receptors that are preferred by the human influenza virus," said Terrence Tumpey, a senior microbiologist with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
The authors said that if the viruses continue to evolve in this direction, the avian flu viruses could travel more easily between other animals and humans. They called for strict surveillance of avian flu viruses and continuing federal preparations for a possible future pandemic.
The study appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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At this point I don't consider it a question of "if" a pandemic will strike the world, but "when." Especially now with the current state of our environment. China being one example of what environmental factors (climate change) can do to exacerbate strains like Avian flu. It seems that historically a pandemic strikes us globally about every 100 or so years. The Spanish Flu that hit us in North America in 1918 wiped out millions... Are we due? After all the hype about Avian Flu in 2003 it has died down now and you don't hear anything about it. I think it is something we need to keep in our minds, especially considering how easy it would be to spread such a virus if it got into the wrong hands. Some strains of bird flu are coming ever closer to developing the traits they need to cause a human pandemic, a study released Monday ... more -
Mystery illness, kills one and quarantines Canadian train
Via Rail has confirmed one person has died aboard a train en route from Vancouver to Toronto, while others have been taken to a northern Ontario hospital. Via Rail has confirmed one person has died aboard a train en route from Vancouver to Toronto, while others have been taken to a northe... more
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Scientists figure out where your flu sniffles are coming from
Scientists have mapped out the journey of the seasonal flu from its start in Asia over to Europe and then America.
Previsouly a mystery, the journey and evolutionary process of the flu will help scientists to develop more effective vaccines for the different strains of the virus. Scientists have mapped out the journey of the seasonal flu from its start in Asia over to Europe and then America. ... more -
Reality TV crew spreads deadly flu virus to Amazonian Indians
A film crew of the British TV production company Cicada Films has been accused of spreading a flu epidemic to people living in isolated Matsigenka settlements in the Peruvian Amazon. A film crew of the British TV production company Cicada Films has been accused of spreading a flu epidemic to people living in isolate... more
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The beginnings of the flu pandemic?
"They" have been saying that we're over due for a global flu pandemic since they normally do the rounds once every 30-40 years. We've had the fears over the avian flu that came and went, then came back, then went away again, and now there are fresh fears over a breakout of flu of Hong Kong.
News came this morning that all primary schools and nurseries have been closed in China's economic hub. The densely populated island is in the middle of a flu crisis, but experts are saying that despite three deaths this is no different to a normal seasonal outbreak.
The schools will be closed for 2 weeks to help stem the spread of the virus as much as possible. Are we overdue for a flu pandemic or are we now advanced enough that we can contain them where they break out? "They" have been saying that we're over due for a global flu pandemic since they normally do the rounds once every 30-4... more -
wanna buy some drugs?
Do you need to get your pandemic plan in place or is a drug company trying to sell you something?
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