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Hello, with the recent events unfolding in mexico city and posiibility of a pandemic, I would like to ask where i can find this TAMIFLU vaccine because I called SOS intl and they dont have it, only the flu vaccine,not TAMIFLU. I want to get both for my whole family and household staff just to be on the safe side, especially for me and my daugther as we are planning to travel again soon.
Hello, with the recent events unfolding in mexico city and posiibility of a pandemic, I would like to ask where i can find this TAMIFLU vaccine because I called SOS intl and they dont have it, only the flu vaccine,not TAMIFLU. I want to get both for my whole family and household staff just to be on the safe side, especially for me and my daugther as we are planning to travel again soon.
Maria,
It is not a vaccine, it is an AntiViral medicine, and to be honest you will possibly find it difficult to obtain especially now with the current health issues surrounding Swine Flu.
It took me more than six months to obtain our supplies back in Australia and that was some time ago!
However, try contacting the local Apotik and ask if they can help.
To be honest I am a little surprised that you do not have this Mx already living in Indonesia with the highest number of deaths in the world from Avian Influenza otherwise known as Flu Burung.
Indonesia does have an emergency stockpile but the last I heard it was woefully short of the amounts that could possibly be needed and this is already earmarked for any possible epidemic related to Avian Influenza.
To be on the safe side, travelling anywhere is not a good idea at the moment until a clearer picture emrges from the Authorities.
For general Information...
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2008/s2548397.htm
Authorities urge caution over Tamiflu fears
The World Today - Tuesday, 21 April , 2009 12:42:00
Reporter: Oscar McLaren
PETER CAVE: Medical researchers in Japan have released a study which suggests that the anti-flu drug Tamiflu may not be the saviour that it's been painted. They say that it increases what's referred to as 'abnormal behaviour' in young people who take the drug.
Tamiflu is used to treat various types of influenza and governments around the world have amassed enormous stockpiles of it just in case of a pandemic of bird flu.
For now though, the only country which sees Tamiflu prescribed on a regular basis for the flu is Japan, where there have been reports of children going so far as trying to jump from balconies after taking the drug over there.
But the World Health Organisation says the findings of the latest study are far from conclusive and there needs to be more research into the area.
Oscar McLaren filed this report.
OSCAR MCLAREN: The Australian Government is among many worldwide which have built up stockpiles of the drug Tamiflu, in case of a bird flu pandemic.
But researchers in Japan say they've found a statistical link between use of the drug and unusual behaviour in young people.
They refer to cases of children trying to jump off balconies and of hopping on one foot.
But Julie Hall, who works for the World Health Organisation in the Western Pacific region, says most symptoms are mild.
JULIE HALL: The majority of young people who are taking Tamiflu had just slightly unusual behaviour, in that they were expressing or describing things in a slightly unusual way.
The research looked at a range of different behaviours, and the vast majority were really quite mild things that may be associated with feeling unwell and having a fever anyways.
OSCAR MCLAREN: She says the findings are only based on statistics, and no direct link has been proven.
JULIE HALL: The findings that have come out so far are not conclusive, and they're not those that you read the findings, and think 'Goodness me, there really is an urgent issue here'.
However, it is clearly an important issue to look at, because it may be that if indeed certain groups react differently to this drug, then in the event of a pandemic, different guidelines will be needed for different types of individuals.
OSCAR MCLAREN: Influenza researchers say problems with Tamiflu have only really been encountered in Japan.
Ian Barr from the Influenza Centre in Melbourne says more research is needed to understand why.
IAN BARR: So, you know, whether it's something to do with Japan using more of this drug than any other country in the world or whether there is something peculiar of some genetic basis for this that may affect the Japanese population more predominantly than other populations, I think remains to be seen.
OSCAR MCLAREN: And he says the correlation found in this study could be little more than statistical noise.
IAN BARR: The thing which has also been raised is that many of the side-effects of the actual influenza disease can mimic some of these neuropsychiatric events.
So, teasing apart whether it's the drug causing some of these neuropsychiatric events or whether it's the effects of influenza, which can cause raised temperatures and may have some of these similar sorts of side effects, is quite difficult to do.
OSCAR MCLAREN: The findings in this study are limited to people under the age of 19.
But all sides of this debate agree that there's a real need for more research about the drug.
PETER CAVE: And that report from Oscar McLaren.
Tamuiflu is not a vaccine it is an antiviral medicine for the general flu.
It is also thought to be useful in treating Avian Flu {Flu Burung}
It is doubtful you will be able to obtain any especially now with the outbreak of Swine Flu, but call your local Apotik and try, you do need a Doctors prescription.
Travelling at this time is probably not advisable at least until the Authorities have a clearer picture.
Tamiflu is reported to have caused several suicides in young people in Japan and should be used with caution, see this link below.
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2008/s2548397.htm
Maria, both my attempts to respond to your post have been sent for 'moderation' ?????????????????????????
Sorry but I give up! :mad:
The World Today - Tuesday, 21 April , 2009 12:42:00
Reporter: Oscar McLaren
PETER CAVE: Medical researchers in Japan have released a study which suggests that the anti-flu drug Tamiflu may not be the saviour that it's been painted. They say that it increases what's referred to as 'abnormal behaviour' in young people who take the drug.
Tamiflu is used to treat various types of influenza and governments around the world have amassed enormous stockpiles of it just in case of a pandemic of bird flu.
For now though, the only country which sees Tamiflu prescribed on a regular basis for the flu is Japan, where there have been reports of children going so far as trying to jump from balconies after taking the drug over there.
But the World Health Organisation says the findings of the latest study are far from conclusive and there needs to be more research into the area.
Oscar McLaren filed this report.
OSCAR MCLAREN: The Australian Government is among many worldwide which have built up stockpiles of the drug Tamiflu, in case of a bird flu pandemic.
But researchers in Japan say they've found a statistical link between use of the drug and unusual behaviour in young people.
They refer to cases of children trying to jump off balconies and of hopping on one foot.
But Julie Hall, who works for the World Health Organisation in the Western Pacific region, says most symptoms are mild.
JULIE HALL: The majority of young people who are taking Tamiflu had just slightly unusual behaviour, in that they were expressing or describing things in a slightly unusual way.
The research looked at a range of different behaviours, and the vast majority were really quite mild things that may be associated with feeling unwell and having a fever anyways.
OSCAR MCLAREN: She says the findings are only based on statistics, and no direct link has been proven.
JULIE HALL: The findings that have come out so far are not conclusive, and they're not those that you read the findings, and think 'Goodness me, there really is an urgent issue here'.
However, it is clearly an important issue to look at, because it may be that if indeed certain groups react differently to this drug, then in the event of a pandemic, different guidelines will be needed for different types of individuals.
OSCAR MCLAREN: Influenza researchers say problems with Tamiflu have only really been encountered in Japan.
Ian Barr from the Influenza Centre in Melbourne says more research is needed to understand why.
IAN BARR: So, you know, whether it's something to do with Japan using more of this drug than any other country in the world or whether there is something peculiar of some genetic basis for this that may affect the Japanese population more predominantly than other populations, I think remains to be seen.
OSCAR MCLAREN: And he says the correlation found in this study could be little more than statistical noise.
IAN BARR: The thing which has also been raised is that many of the side-effects of the actual influenza disease can mimic some of these neuropsychiatric events.
So, teasing apart whether it's the drug causing some of these neuropsychiatric events or whether it's the effects of influenza, which can cause raised temperatures and may have some of these similar sorts of side effects, is quite difficult to do.
OSCAR MCLAREN: The findings in this study are limited to people under the age of 19.
But all sides of this debate agree that there's a real need for more research about the drug.
I can't help much but to offer hope.
I understand it's made here under free licence and used for bird flu so you are in with a chance.
I have seen mail order sites but I would be shy of them.
Thank you for your post guys esp to omdafyd. Im seriously recondsidering my plans for early May to travel with my child. I want to wait it out until end of this week and see what happens.
I can't help much but to offer hope.
I understand it's made here under free licence and used for bird flu so you are in with a chance.
I have seen mail order sites but I would be shy of them.
Generally I would agree Fred, however this was the only way that I managed to obtain a supply, admitedly the online Apotik was in Sidney Australia and I was home in Melbourne at the time...
I think overseas scripts can be filled, but obviously a Doctors Prescription must be supplied with the order and all local Customs/Excise duties followed but it is worth a try.
I'm sure there must be other reputable online Pharmacies.
Sorry to be pessimistic but the last I heard was that Indonesia was given 400,000 doses from Australia { a year or so ago admittedly}and we all know who will obtain those in the event of an emergency.
Also with the current health Minister proclaiming Flu Burung as a CIA type conspiracy by the West and withholding strains for WHO testing, I don't hold much hope for Indonesia managing any Pandemic sucessfully. :(
I bought Tamiflu , without prescription , in Kuala Lumpur , about 3 years ago .
I bought Tamiflu , without prescription , in Kuala Lumpur , about 3 years ago .
I'm sure that if it was available here Marcus, one could also obtain it without a prescription.
I've bought a few medications here, illegally without a prescription.
However online pharmacies are supposed to be strict with this requirement and certainly in countries that enforce the rule of Law, this is true.
I seem to recall a warning some time ago about Obat palsu with regard to Tamiflu, perhaps another reason to only purchase Mx with scripts and from reputable Apotiks, something I haven't always adhered to myself. :eek:
JalanMalam
28-04-09, 08:13
I received this link from International SOS today. This may help to explain some of the issues with the "Swine Flu"
http://urgent.internationalsos.com
'Officials: No Need For Swine Flu Panic
Jakarta Post
28th April
Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari urged Indonesians on Monday not to panic over a potential outbreak of swine flu in the country, saying the virus that caused the disease was only likely to hit subtropical and temperate countries.
Speaking after a meeting at the office of Aburizal Bakrie, the coordinating minister for people’s welfare, Supari said the H1N1 virus that caused swine flu could only survive in cold weather such as during autumn or winter.
“The survival rate for the virus is lower in a tropical country like Indonesia, so we don’t need to worry,” she said.........' :eek:
Dr TED,.. care to comment on this statement...
As far as I know it gets pretty hot in Mexico. :confused:
I received this link from International SOS today. This may help to explain some of the issues with the "Swine Flu"
http://urgent.internationalsos.com
Thanks JalanMalam, I found these links from that site for info:
Vaccine: http://urgent.internationalsos.com/Vaccine/Forms/AllItems.aspx
Antiviral Medication: http://urgent.internationalsos.com/Antiviral%20Medication/Forms/AllItems.aspx
I went to SOS last night to get my flu vaccine. I was hoping to get the TAMIFLU medication just in case, as I was planning to go back to philippines this weekend. I'm a bit paranoid about it because I know there are a lot of people (especially Filipinos living abroad) who go back to philippines for the summer season and hit the beaches. And I do know there are a lot of Filipinos living in Los Angeles. So I put them together and I became paranoid to even step in Manila airport.
Anyway, so I asked for TAMIFLU and the nurse said that it is upon the doctor's discretion to whom TAMIFLU should be given to. For now they can only give the flu vaccine, and then I found this line in one of the links above:
"It is unknown whether the current seasonal flu vaccine provides any protection against the strain of swine flu currently circulating. Most likely, it is not effective against swine flu."
Supari said the H1N1 virus that caused swine flu could only survive in cold weather such as during autumn or winter.
“The survival rate for the virus is lower in a tropical country like Indonesia, so we don’t need to worry,” she said.........' :eek:
Absolute rot. The virus seems less infectious among pigs in hot weather but this is a new strain that spreads human-human. Many humans here live/work/travel in fairly autumnal a/c conditions, too.
If the disease in its present form comes here the climate alone won't stop its spread.
I went to SOS last night to get my flu vaccine. I was hoping to get the TAMIFLU medication just in case, as I was planning to go back to philippines this weekend. I'm a bit paranoid about it because I know there are a lot of people (especially Filipinos living abroad) who go back to philippines for the summer season and hit the beaches. And I do know there are a lot of Filipinos living in Los Angeles. So I put them together and I became paranoid to even step in Manila airport.
Anyway, so I asked for TAMIFLU and the nurse said that it is upon the doctor's discretion to whom TAMIFLU should be given to. For now they can only give the flu vaccine, and then I found this line in one of the links above:
"It is unknown whether the current seasonal flu vaccine provides any protection against the strain of swine flu currently circulating. Most likely, it is not effective against swine flu."
Maria, I did seriously doubt that Tamiflu would be available generally.
Recent reports state that 5,000,000 doses are stockpiled in Indonesia and of course these will be issued to all health Care, Police and Emergency and other essential service workers first, oh and of course all politicians and their families, them being so critical to running the country.:rolleyes:
Unless you have an allergy to eggs or egg products, I would recommend you have the normal flu vaccine, it may well provide some benefit and some is better than none.
I'm sure I read somewhere recently that it actually may have some positive effect especially given that all the infections outside of Mexico have been reasonably mild in their presentation.
Personally ever since I started working in Hospitals many years ago I have had mine annually and never had a dose of the flu since... note: it does not prevent one from getting the flu, it shortens the life and intensity of the illness making for a quicker recovery, as does Tamiflu when taken after experiencing symptoms.
I'm sure that if it was available here Marcus, one could also obtain it .................................................. ...
Omdafyd , according to www.mims.com , Roche sell Tamiflu in Malaysia , but NOT in Indonesia .
Another option to Tamiflu is Relenza , but also not sold in Indonesia by its manufacturer .
Okay, so I can't get a hold of some of these tamiflu. Do you think I should still travel this weekend with my child? or alone? What if she develops a flu, even if it isnt swine flu and we get quarantined? What if I travel alone and I get quarantined? Just trying to push thru with my plans as the hotels and flights are already booked since january.
There seems to be a growing hysteria about this.
My daughter was declared by the local nurse to have swine flu this morning.
In fact it was a bunch of nasty insect bites that she had reacted badly to but that didn't stp the silly sausage blurting it out in front of the whole hospital.
I was not happy.
There seems to be a growing hysteria about this.
My daughter was declared by the local nurse to have swine flu this morning.
In fact it was a bunch of nasty insect bites that she had reacted badly to but that didn't stp the silly sausage blurting it out in front of the whole hospital.
I was not happy.
This is what I'm afraid of...as my daughter still has runny nose,no fever though.but maybe if we get to the airport people will start panicking...
Maria , I would not travel to Mexico , USA , and other countries with confirmed cases , if not necessary . Check further about the swine flu at www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus , www.cdc.gov ,.. BBC and CNN have been covering this problem very closely .
This is what I'm afraid of...as my daughter still has runny nose,no fever though.but maybe if we get to the airport people will start panicking...
Maria, the Indonesian media has virtually nothing on this imminent pandemic ..
Should the virus arrive here, Indonesia will be particulary vulnerable, better to wait and prepare, even if it is an over reaction.
WHO raises swine flu alert: pandemic 'imminent'
April 30, 2009 - 7:20AM
http://images.theage.com.au/2009/04/30/497339/st_flumask-420x0.jpg The World Health Organisation has raised its swine flu alert to phase five out of six, WHO chief Margaret Chan said, signalling that a pandemic was "imminent" following the swine flu outbreak.
Phase five, one step short of a full pandemic, is characterised as a "strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalise... the planned mitigation measures is short", according to the WHO's global emergency planning.
"All countries should immediately now activate their pandemic preparedness plans,'' Dr Chan said in an announcement following a meeting of WHO health experts.
"It really is all of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic.''
A phase five alert means there is sustained transmission among people in at least two countries.
Once the virus shows effective transmission in two different regions of the world a full pandemic outbreak would be declared.......'
Marcus, I am well aware of Relenza, but as it is not sold here as you rightly point out, I did not think it worth mentioning, however this a good point for anyone who may wish to try and obtain anti virals overseas, although I seriously doubt if any of them can now be purchased as a preventative measure
simarkbotak
30-04-09, 10:51
I was watching bbc/cnn/al-j about this flu pandemic. With the WHO guy talking sooo slowly..
Well, it got me thinking, swine flu has claimed 109 lives in Mexico and 1 Mexican baby in the US. AFAIK, there are at the moment no other deaths.
How bad was the pandemic of Avian-flu and SARS here?? I remember it to be worse. CMIIW.
It just seems like there is so much hype around this swine-flu, or am I wrong.
Also, how many people die in Indonesia, daily, of DBD!
just my 2 cents. please. CMIIW.;)
as omdafyd said: "Should the virus arrive here, Indonesia will be particulary vulnerable, better to wait and prepare, even if it is an over reaction."
And because they haven't developed a vaccine specifically targeting swine flu yet, and tamiflu would be difficult to get should it spread here, I think the hype about it is justifiable. It is not about panicking, but more on readiness when it comes.
btw, what is DBD?
simarkbotak
30-04-09, 11:36
btw, what is DBD?
Sorry, Dengue fever.
Dear all,
I think it's just about making people afraid and selling lots of Tamiflu. There have only been 7(!) confirmed cases in Mexico and one in the US. (which according to me is the reason for the worldwide panic)
Broadcasting doesn't stick to the facts and are only repeating each other without doing proper research.
I wonder why people don't get worried about the millions of deaths because of Malaria, TB, dengue etc... I know the topic is not about idealism, fareness or otherwise, but stilll....
Regards
Dear all,
I think it's just about making people afraid and selling lots of Tamiflu. There have only been 7(!) confirmed cases in Mexico and one in the US. (which according to me is the reason for the worldwide panic)
Broadcasting doesn't stick to the facts and are only repeating each other without doing proper research.
I wonder why people don't get worried about the millions of deaths because of Malaria, TB, dengue etc... I know the topic is not about idealism, fareness or otherwise, but stilll....
Regards
Sorry, I ment: 7 confirmed cases who died of swine-flu...
clifford72
30-04-09, 13:59
Yes... the makers of Tamiful(Roche) is laughing to the bank... Tamiful is not marketed in Indonesia except for the stockpiles that the government has in case of a pandamic. It's an anti-viral and not a vaccine, hence taking it will not help much unfortunately. The best thing one can do is to take precautions etc... not visit infected countries, take extra care of your hygene, use alcohol gels etc... just my 2 cents worth...
Yes... the makers of Tamiful(Roche) is laughing to the bank... Tamiful is not marketed in Indonesia except for the stockpiles that the government has in case of a pandamic. It's an anti-viral and not a vaccine, hence taking it will not help much unfortunately. The best thing one can do is to take precautions etc... not visit infected countries, take extra care of your hygene, use alcohol gels etc... just my 2 cents worth...
Absolutley and totally wrong Clifford, Tamiflu has saved lives in regard to Aviian Influenza and the so called Swine Flu has been reported to be sensitive to this Anti Viral as well so it should also be effective in shortening and reducing the severity of symptoms hence quite possibly saving lives!
Uninformed comments such as these are unhelpful!
It has been reported in the media as long ago as 2005 that Indonesia was given a licence to produce Tamiflu locally, I am not aware if this has actually occurred or not, given the hysterical views of some senior members of the health Ministry I would doubt it, instead preffering to rely, once again on the International Community to come to it's aid instead.
Dear all,
I think it's just about making people afraid and selling lots of Tamiflu. There have only been 7(!) confirmed cases in Mexico and one in the US. (which according to me is the reason for the worldwide panic)
Broadcasting doesn't stick to the facts and are only repeating each other without doing proper research.
I wonder why people don't get worried about the millions of deaths because of Malaria, TB, dengue etc... I know the topic is not about idealism, fareness or otherwise, but stilll....
Regards
The WHO uses 'confirmed' cases for their calculations yes, but what this means is that tissue samples have been taken from the deceased, sent to a laboratory capable of performing the appropiate tests and then confirming the presence of the virus, this is a lengthy process and is the reason why the thousands reported to have the virus are not yet confirmed.
If you do some research on the work of WHO and other orginisations they are extremely concerned and working towards the erradication or at least containment of diseases such as Malaria, TB DBD and so on..
another uninformed comment sighhhhhhhhhh :rolleyes:
I was watching bbc/cnn/al-j about this flu pandemic. With the WHO guy talking sooo slowly..
Well, it got me thinking, swine flu has claimed 109 lives in Mexico and 1 Mexican baby in the US. AFAIK, there are at the moment no other deaths.
How bad was the pandemic of Avian-flu and SARS here?? I remember it to be worse. CMIIW.
It just seems like there is so much hype around this swine-flu, or am I wrong.
Also, how many people die in Indonesia, daily, of DBD!
just my 2 cents. please. CMIIW.;)
I'm afraid you are wrong Mark.......
The numbers reported are those who can be shown to have died from flu like symptoms but not yet confirmed as Swine Flu through laboratory testing, it is suspected that much larger numbers of infections have and are actually ocurring.
however, you are correct that large numbers of people die from largely preventable deaths in Indonesia and we need to ask why?
simarkbotak
30-04-09, 18:01
I'm afraid you are wrong Mark.......
The numbers reported are those who can be shown to have died from flu like symptoms but not yet confirmed as Swine Flu through laboratory testing, it is suspected that much larger numbers of infections have and are actually ocurring.
however, you are correct that large numbers of people die from largely preventable deaths in Indonesia and we need to ask why?
Thanks omdavyd, for correcting me.
Would you agree that too much hype is happening at the moment, based on yet to be confirmed cases?
I heard that the US (obama) is already preparing some US$1.9bn for this pandemic.
Cheers,
Mark
I agree Mark.
Hype.
In the UK around 5 thousand people a year die from the "regular flu"
I don't think it's hype at all. The fact that so much is being said about the "only" 8 confirmed fatalities of H1N1 worldwide, as it is now being called, compared to the thousands of deaths the USA alone has every year of common flu is due to the fact that this virus is NEW and transmitted human to human. There's is NO vaccine for this new virus and with the level of globalization we live now, ANY effort to contain this to become a pandemic is worth every measure taken.
For more on number of confirmed cases, look here:
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/30/swine.flu.outbreak/index.html#cnnSTCOther2
Thanks omdavyd, for correcting me.
Would you agree that too much hype is happening at the moment, based on yet to be confirmed cases?
I heard that the US (obama) is already preparing some US$1.9bn for this pandemic.
Cheers,
Mark
Ones man's hype is another man's news...yes of course all media outlets tend to hype up stories, you know as well as I do that's the nature of the beast, however it is critical that the message gets out and that people are prepared.
I notice in todays Jkt Post the Health Ministry here is now backtracking from those stupid and irresponsible comments made earlier by you know who....
Personally I think an overreaction is better than no reaction in cases like these and especially living here in Indonesia.
I think everyone would be well advised to check out their home countries or WHO/CDC website re; individuals/families preparation in case of the virus hitting here and take some basic precautions, we have.
I agree Mark.
Hype.
In the UK around 5 thousand people a year die from the "regular flu"
True unfortunately, but this virus is reportedly a combination of human, pig and avian flu and it's actual death rate is as yet unknown, it may or may not be more lethal than the flu biasa so unless you know anything different than the rest of us, I think it's being blas'e to just call it hype.
The last Flu Pandemic in 1967 killed a million people.
simarkbotak
01-05-09, 09:09
Personally I think an overreaction is better than no reaction in cases like these and especially living here in Indonesia.
Yes, I agree. Unfortunately in Indonesia this means someone is getting a huge bonus.. $$$;)
The WHO uses 'confirmed' cases for their calculations yes, but what this means is that tissue samples have been taken from the deceased, sent to a laboratory capable of performing the appropiate tests and then confirming the presence of the virus, this is a lengthy process and is the reason why the thousands reported to have the virus are not yet confirmed.
If you do some research on the work of WHO and other orginisations they are extremely concerned and working towards the erradication or at least containment of diseases such as Malaria, TB DBD and so on..
another uninformed comment sighhhhhhhhhh :rolleyes:
So where were I uninformed? It takes two days to see what kind of string of H1 it is (no tissue needed for that). A lot of unconfirmed cases will therefor appear to be just the flu. So it's been a couple of days without more confirmed cases... Or is this a virus which takes a break for a day or two?? :D
I don't think it's hype at all. The fact that so much is being said about the "only" 8 confirmed fatalities of H1N1 worldwide, as it is now being called, compared to the thousands of deaths the USA alone has every year of common flu is due to the fact that this virus is NEW and transmitted human to human. There's is NO vaccine for this new virus and with the level of globalization we live now, ANY effort to contain this to become a pandemic is worth every measure taken.
For more on number of confirmed cases, look here:
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/30/swine.flu.outbreak/index.html#cnnSTCOther2
Please.. don't use CNN as your resource for "the truth".. rather visit the WHO website.
Dear all,
I think it's just about making people afraid and selling lots of Tamiflu. There have only been 7(!) confirmed cases in Mexico and one in the US. (which according to me is the reason for the worldwide panic)
Broadcasting doesn't stick to the facts and are only repeating each other without doing proper research.
I wonder why people don't get worried about the millions of deaths because of Malaria, TB, dengue etc... I know the topic is not about idealism, fareness or otherwise, but stilll....
Regards
WHO UPDATE quote from their website.
"Influenza A(H1N1) - update 6
30 April 2009 -- The situation continues to evolve rapidly. As of 17:00 GMT, 30 April 2009, 11 countries have officially reported 257 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.
The United States Government has reported 109 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death. Mexico has reported 97 confirmed human cases of infection, including seven deaths.
The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Austria (1), Canada (19), Germany (3), Israel (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (3), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (8)...."
Carola, your post was dated the 30th April...
The above WHO update is also dated the 30th April.
clifford72
01-05-09, 13:05
Absolutley and totally wrong Clifford, Tamiflu has saved lives in regard to Aviian Influenza and the so called Swine Flu has been reported to be sensitive to this Anti Viral as well so it should also be effective in shortening and reducing the severity of symptoms hence quite possibly saving lives!
Uninformed comments such as these are unhelpful!
It has been reported in the media as long ago as 2005 that Indonesia was given a licence to produce Tamiflu locally, I am not aware if this has actually occurred or not, given the hysterical views of some senior members of the health Ministry I would doubt it, instead preffering to rely, once again on the International Community to come to it's aid instead.
Sorry omdafyd, my statement was indeed wrong. If you DO have the avian Influenza or swine flu, then it helps(tamiflu or relenza) but if you do not have it and taking shots of tamiflu or relenza as a prevention is open for debate.
Sorry omdafyd, my statement was indeed wrong. If you DO have the avian Influenza or swine flu, then it helps(tamiflu or relenza) but if you do not have it and taking shots of tamiflu or relenza as a prevention is open for debate.
No worries mate, It is vital that people have as accurate information as possible.
As far as these Anti Virals being effective in prevention you may well be correct, what is known is that a lengthy course would be needed for any prevention to be effective, I believe at least six weeks which of course is much more than needed for treatment, and I personally would want to use my supplies for treatment of the illness and try to avoid infection.
Footnote;
From what I can gather, what is more worrying and confusing to the Virologists and other Health experts is the fact that a majority of the fatalities has occurred in young adults, usually the Flu has a higher fatality rate in the very young with underdeveloped immune systems or the elderly with compromised immune systems.
what is more worrying and confusing to the Virologists and other Health experts is the fact that a majority of the fatalities has occurred in young adults, usually the Flu has a higher fatality rate in the very young with underdeveloped immune systems or the elderly with compromised immune systems.
This is what they said, about the H1N1's similarity to the spanish flu..
Melbourne Age
2nd May.
'Professor Robert Booy, immunisation expert at the University of Sydney, calculated that the flu had a fatality rate of less than one in a thousand. And Professor Nikolai Petrovsky, director of endocrinology at Flinders Medical Centre, said the mortality rate appeared to be similar to, or slightly higher than, seasonal flu — though it could be dangerous if it was more infectious than seasonal flu.'
These assumptions are not confirmed by WHO.
Cybercrooks exploit swine flu hysteria
Asher Moses
April 30, 2009 - 11:49AM
Melbourne Age
'Cybercriminals are exploiting the worldwide hysteria over swine flu to peddle fake drugs and steal credit card details, security experts warn. "The scare has spawned a spamming frenzy, like sharks smelling blood in the water," Symantec's Mayur Kulkarni wrote in a blog post.
Security firm F-Secure has compiled a list (http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/archives/00001668.html) of 146 swine flu-related internet sites that have been registered over the last few days by scammers looking to collect "donations" and peddle malware, fake pills and bogus swine flu survival guides.
McAfee said domain name registrations mentioning the word "swine" were up by about 30 times. One of the new sites, noswineflu.com, offers a dodgy "Swine Flu Prevention Guide" for $US19.95.
McAfee and Symantec also revealed a surge in spam campaigns riding on the back of the flu threat, which instead of delivering useful information distribute viruses and offer bogus pills that purportedly eradicate the flu.
When victims go to buy any products offered by the spammers, their credit card details are harvested.
Victims may also be sent bogus drugs purporting to be generic versions of the antiviral drug Tamiflu, which could pose health risks, Sophos warned (http://www.sophos.com/blogs/sophoslabs/v/post/4274). The same fake pharmaceuticals were being peddled by scammers during the bird flu scare.
Subject lines from the spam emails include "Madonna caught swine flu!" and "Swine flu in Hollywood!". The messages contain links either to online pharmacy sites selling counterfeit drugs or malicious sites that infect target computers with password-stealing viruses.
Cisco IronPort estimated that swine flu-related messages already account for up to 4 per cent of the world's spam.
The US Government-run Computer Emergency Readiness Team, US-CERT, acknowledged the email scams and warned people not to open any malicious links or attachments.
"If users click on this link or open the attachment, they may be directed to a phishing website or exposed to malicious code," US-CERT warned, adding that all official information can be found on the website of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The World Health Organisation today raised its flu alert signalling a swine flu pandemic is "imminent" after a toddler in the United States became the first to die of the disease outside of Mexico.
About 100 people are being tested for the virus in Australia, with no update on their conditions available yet today.
Twitter 'creating hysteria'
Aiding the swine flu scammers is the persistent rumours and fear-mongering that is spreading across social networking sites such as Twitter, on which swine flu has been one of the hottest topics this week.
In a column (http://neteffect.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/04/25/swine_flu_twitters_power_to_misinform) for Foreign Policy magazine, Evgeny Morozov argued that, rather than helping people stay informed, Twitter was creating hysteria and misinformation.
He argued that gossip and speculation - such as warnings to stop eating pork - were drowning out information from official sources, such as the official Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/CDCemergency) for the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
"In the context of a global pandemic - where media networks are doing their best to spice up an already serious threat - having millions of people wrap up all their fears into 140 characters and blurt them out in the public might have some dangerous consequences, networked panic being one of them," Morozov wrote.
Conversely, a US biosurveillance start-up, Veratect, claims monitoring online social network and blog chatter helped it alert the CDC to the situation in Mexico on April 16, before Mexican health authorities acknowledged the swine flu threat.
Veratect chief executive Bob Hart told Wired.com (http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/04/swinefluchatter/): "We started picking up the early indicators of social disruption, whether it shows up on blogs or Twitter. We can pick up the first indicators of behavioral changes."
Flu alert 'higher than needed'
Maris Beck and Nick Miller
May 4, 2009
Melbourne Age
'THE World Health Organisation has "cried wolf"' over swine flu, a leading US researcher says.
An expert in epidemiology from Stanford University, Shelley Salpeter, said that recent changes in the World Health Organisation's influenza pandemic guidelines had exaggerated the risks of swine flu, which has infected fewer people than normal strains of influenza.
A World Health Organisation representative confirmed that, following the avian flu outbreak of 2003, the threshold for pandemic alerts was lowered so people would be better prepared for a serious outbreak.
In April, the WHO released new guidelines that would "more accurately reflect pandemic risk and the epidemiological situation".
Under the new guidelines, the WHO moves to its second-highest alert level if two countries in a global region reported human-to-human transmission of the disease. It says this is "a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent".
But a WHO spokesman admitted that under the guidelines many normal strains of flu would also be "pandemics".
Pandemic alerts are not issued for normal influenza strains because only new strains, such as swine flu, are classified by the WHO.
As of yesterday the WHO had confirmed 658 cases of swine flu, 397 of them in Mexico. All but one of the 17 deaths has been in Mexico. There are no confirmed cases in Australia.
Dr Salpeter, who is a clinical professor of medicine at Stanford University's School of Medicine, said she expected the rate of infection to taper off soon in Mexico, because most infection rates peak at six to 12 weeks in one location.
Even if only one out of a hundred cases has been diagnosed, the number of cases in Mexico is still less than 0.1 per cent of Mexico's population. That is far less than typical influenza, which affects between 5 and 20 per cent of the US population each year.
In terms of the death rate, Dr Salpeter said swine flu "is just like an ordinary flu. There is nothing fancy about it in terms of its mortality."
A WHO spokeswoman said the 1918 Spanish flu, which killed up to 40 million people, had begun as a very mild form of the disease. It was too early to tell how deadly swine flu was, and there was also a risk it could mutate into a deadlier form.
Dr Salpeter said too many alerts caused confusion. If the WHO was too trigger-happy, when there was an aggressive disease outbreak, people might not take it seriously.'
True unfortunately, but this virus is reportedly a combination of human, pig and avian flu and it's actual death rate is as yet unknown
The last Flu Pandemic in 1967 killed a million people.
erm, type 2 diabetes in the USA....?
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