World Health Organization Says N1H1 Pandemic Over
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 at 9:02PMEven if the World Health Organization’s global “swine flu” pandemic alert was lifted today, the international community was “lucky” the N1H1 virus did not mutate into a a more lethal form , says WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan.
“This does not mean that the H1N1 virus has gone away” Dr. Chan told a press conference Tuesday. “We expect the H1N1 virus to take on the behaviour of a seasonal influenza virus and continue to circulate for some years to come.”
“Continued vigilance is extremely important, and WHO has issued advice on recommended surveillance, vaccination, and clinical management during the post-pandemic period.” said Dr. Chan, adding that vaccination continues to be the most cost effective way to protect H1N1 high risk groups.
In the past several months governments started scaling back their public health response to the H1N1 crisis, but WHO officials felt they needed more evidence that there were no out of season outbreaks or changes in the intensity of infection rates before dropping the alert.
Controversy surrounding the organization’s decision to upgrade the H1N1 situation to a pandemic in the summer of 2009 surfaced after a Council of Europe investigation into alleged ties between certain WHO Emergency Committee members and pharmaceutical companies. Chan says the names of its emergency committee members will be released shortly but was unclear if the WHO would continue to disclose the identity of committee members in the future.
Although she agrees there needs to be changes in the guidelines for future pandemic responses, Dr.Chan remains confident elevating the H1N1 status to a pandemic was the right thing to do. “We followed exactly the epidemiological and biological criteria as agreed by the experts of the world. And his was a true pandemic.”
The WHO has been able to confirm that at least 18 500 people died from H1N1 virus but this remains a conservative preliminary estimate and the organization will need to a few more years to determine the full extent of the crisis.
“Pandemics, like the viruses that cause them, are unpredictable. There will be many questions, and we will have clear answers for only some. “
Schools Receive New Swine Flu Information
Federal health officials released information Friday detailing steps schools can take to combat the spread of the H1N1 flu pandemic, including keeping infected children out of class for 24 hours after the fever ceases and promoting basic hygiene.
The announcement was made by the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and Education, along with Tom Frieden, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
One change since the end of last flu season is what is known as the period of exclusion. That is how long those with H1N1 should remain away from others, including how long a child should remain out of school. It is now 24 hours after the fever is gone.
The guidance is not specific in terms of whether or not schools should close when there is an outbreak. Instead, they said the ultimate decision is a local decision but they will continue to provide any information. Frieden said it is not always necessary to close the school but agreed with Education Secretary Arne Duncan who discussed the alternative preparatory steps being taken in schools.
Three steps Frieden mentioned were: keep those who are sick home, wash hands, and cover coughs. He said following these simple steps could be used when deciding whether or not to keep a school open even when cases have been reported.
“The guidance we are announcing today will give local school officials the tools they need to make informed decisions about how to decrease exposure to the school while limiting the disruption of day to day learning in schools,” said Janet Napolitano, Department of Homeland Security Secretary.
The guidance issued was for K-12 schools and guidance for higher education institutions is expected to be released by August 23.
The secretaries and CDC Director all discussed the development and availability of the H1N1 vaccination, saying it should be available by mid-October and will be a 2 shot vaccination.