Wed, 24 Oct 2007 9:00:00 -0500 Welcome to the PandemicFlu.gov RSS news feed provided by the Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.pandemicflu.gov News en-us Aug, 19 Jun 2008 11:15:00 -0500 The majority of deaths during the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 were not caused by the influenza virus acting alone, report researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. Instead, most victims succumbed to bacterial pneumonia following influenza virus infection. http://www.nih.gov/news/health/aug2008/niaid-19.htm Aug, 19 Jun 2008 11:15:00 -0500 HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded $12.9 million for the development of low-cost influenza tests that can detect and differentiate seasonal human influenza viruses from avian influenza within three hours. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2008pres/06/20080612a.html Thu, June 12, 2008 16:40:00 -0500 HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Canadian Minister of Health Tony Clement today to improve the health status of indigenous communities through enhanced international collaborations, identification and reinforcement of best practices, and innovative approaches to learning opportunities. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2007pres/11/pr20071101b.html Thur, 1 Nov 2007 17:00:00 -0500 The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Ministry of Health of the United Mexican States today agreed to strengthen cross-border coordination and cooperation in the surveillance, prevention, and control of infectious diseases for the protection of the health, well-being, and quality of life of their peoples. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2007pres/11/pr20071101a.html Thur, 1 Nov 2007 17:00:00 -0500 Effective allocation of vaccines will play a critical role in preventing influenza and reducing its effects on health and society when a pandemic arrives. The specific type of influenza that causes a pandemic will not be known until it occurs. http://www.pandemicflu.gov/vaccine/prioritization.html Wed, 24 Oct 2007 9:00:00 -0500 Last spring, the World Health Organization (WHO) and vaccine manufacturers said that about 100 million courses of pandemic influenza vaccine based on the H5N1 avian influenza strain could be produced immediately with standard technology. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr60/en/index.html Wed, 24 Oct 2007 9:00:00 -0500 HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced that the Department is making available another $75 million to states, territories and four metropolitan areas to help strengthen their capacity to respond to a pandemic influenza outbreak. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2007pres/08/pr20070830a.html Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:30:00 -0500 Clinical management of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/guidelines/clinicalmanage07/en/index.html Wed, 15 Aug 2007 13:00:00 -0500 The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced that $25 million is available to hospitals and other health care facilities via a competitive emergency care grant program focused on hospital surge capacity, emergency care system capability, and community and hospital preparedness for public health emergencies. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2007pres/08/pr200708010a.html Fri, 10 Aug 2007 15:30:00 -0500 Preparing vaccines and therapeutics that target a future mutant strain of H5N1 influenza virus sounds like science fiction, but it may be possible, according to a team of scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and a collaborator at Emory University School of Medicine. Success hinges on anticipating and predicting the crucial mutations that would help the virus spread easily from person to person. http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/aug2007/niaid-09.htm Thu, 9 Aug 2007 15:30:00 -0500 School closures and other community strategies designed to reduce the possibility of spreading disease between people during an epidemic can save lives, particularly when the measures are used in combination and implemented soon after an outbreak begins in a community, according to a new study based on public records from the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic. http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/2007/r070807.htm Wed, 8 Aug 2007 10:30:00 -0500 HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt announced that the revised International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) enter into force today for the United States. The updated rules are designed to prevent and protect against the international spread of diseases while minimizing interference with world travel and trade. They will help countries work together to identify, respond to, and share information about, public health emergencies of international concern. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2007pres/07/pr20070718a.html Wed, 18 Jul 2007 10:30:00 -0500 HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced that the department has provided another $896.7 million to the states, territories, and four metropolitan areas to improve and sustain their ability to respond to public health emergencies. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2007pres/07/pr20070717c.html Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:00:00 -0500 The two cost-reimbursable contracts totaling $132.5 million over five years are to retrofit existing domestic vaccine manufacturing facilities on a cost-sharing basis and to provide warm-base operations for manufacturing pandemic influenza vaccines. In warm-base operations, the contractor does not shut down the facility. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2007pres/06/pr20070614a.html Thu, 14 Jun 2007 10:00:00 -0500 The two cost-reimbursable contracts totaling $132.5 million over five years are to retrofit existing domestic vaccine manufacturing facilities on a cost-sharing basis and to provide warm-base operations for manufacturing pandemic influenza vaccines. In warm-base operations, the contractor does not shut down the facility. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2007pres/06/pr20070614a.html Thu, 14 Jun 2007 10:00:00 -0500 The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced that it is working with vaccine manufacturers to move ahead on plans to create a global stockpile of vaccine for the H5N1 avian influenza virus. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/statements/2007/s14/en/index.html Wed, 13 Jun 2007 17:00:00 -0500