Influenza News

Premature infants may benefit most from a 1 mg/kg dose of oseltamivir when administered twice daily as prophylaxis, study data suggest.

ATLANTA — Health announcements that urged the public to cover their noses or mouths with tissues, handkerchiefs or elbows when sneezing or coughing during the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic may have missed their mark, according to data presented here at the 2010 International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Antiviral treatment administered at the onset of influenza symptoms reduced the risk for morbidity and mortality among solid organ transplant recipients, according to data from a multicenter study.

About 40 million doses of the H1N1 influenza A vaccine — about 25% of the amount produced last year — are slated to be destroyed after they expired June 30, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Pregnant women who contract influenza A (H1N1) are at risk for fetal distress, premature delivery, emergency cesarean section and fetal death, according to a recent study.

In the tropical climate of Singapore, influenza A (H1N1) was less likely to cause upset stomach and fever and appeared milder than the seasonal flu, according to a recent study.

The FDA has approved the Simplexa Influenza A H1N1 (2009) assay from Focus Diagnostics for use in patients with signs and symptoms of respiratory infection.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Creative vaccine distribution strategies, improved vaccine technologies and more rapid manufacturing timetables were among ideas speakers at the 2010 Pediatric Academic Societies proposed during a symposium on vaccine-preventable diseases in the developing world.

Seasonal influenza vaccination coverage varied greatly from state to state, especially among children, between August of 2009 and January of this year, despite an emphasis on receiving both the seasonal and pandemic strain of influenza vaccines, according to data published online today.

ATLANTA — The emergence of new diseases like the pandemic influenza H1N1, and the reemergence of old threats like mumps, pertussis, pneumococcal disease and measles should serve as a reminder to physicians and patients about the importance of immunization, according to a speaker here at the 44th National Immunization Conference.