Extractions: WEB SERVICES: WASHINGTON (AP) Dr. Raymond Scalettar is angry: He has to send elderly lung-disease patients to nearby supermarkets for a flu shot. Why? Some huge grocery chains received thousands of vaccine doses before manufacturers shipped them to many private doctors whose patients are so frail influenza could kill them. The sick standing in store lines isn't doctors' only frustration. Manufacturers acknowledge shipping shots to large corporations for employee-vaccination programs ahead of many doctors even though this year's vaccine delay means high-risk Americans, not healthy young workers, are supposed to be first in line.
Why I Never Get Flu Shots 11/26/00 Every year about this time, quite a few people write me and ask, http://www.mercola.com/2000/nov/26/flu_shots.htm
Extractions: Mercola.com Newsletter You want straight information on health topics that matter to YOU? Over 375,000 people, including 25,000 health professionals, receive the free Mercola.com e-newsletter twice a week, and 6 million Mercola.com pages are viewed every month to answer people's many health questions. Sign up for the newsletter now with your email address below it's free, and you'll quickly find it can really help you improve your health. Just Enter Your Email Address: See What Others Are Saying About the Newsletter
Extractions: International Edition MEMBER SERVICES The Web CNN.com Home Page World U.S. Weather ... Autos SERVICES Video E-mail Newsletters Your E-mail Alerts RSS ... Contact Us SEARCH Web CNN.com Story Tools HANOI, Vietnam (AP) A bird flu outbreak that has sickened nearly 600,000 chickens in Vietnam is suspected of being linked to the deaths of 10 children and an adult in Hanoi, the World Health Organization said Monday. RELATED Bird flu spreads to humans in the Netherlands World Health Organization HEALTH LIBRARY Health Library YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Flu Season Vietnam World Health Organization (WHO) or Create your own Manage alerts What is this? Viruses in both the chickens and the people appear to be similar but further testing is being done. "There is a possible link," said Peter Horby, a WHO epidemiologist in Hanoi. "In the past, chickens have infected people in outbreaks in Hong Kong in 1997 and again in 2003." Horby said he's expected to meet with the Ministry of Health on Tuesday to further discuss the possible connection, but he's optimistic it can be contained. "Whatever they've got, there doesn't seem to be widespread transmission," he said. "It's encouraging that's it's not spreading."
Extractions: skip to main content Information for a Healthy New York Search this site: Some documents on this page are saved in the Portable Document Format (PDF). If it's not already on your computer, you'll need to download the latest free version of Acrobat Reader You are Here: Home Page Communicable Disease Influenza (Flu) Influenza (or flu) is a contagious viral infection that causes headache, fever, chills, cough or sore throat and body aches. This year almost half of the influenza vaccine supply was not available due to manufacturing problems at one of the two plants supplying the U.S. As a result, federal guidelines were put into effect in October, 2004 identifying priority groups for vaccination. However, demand for influenza vaccine has decreased and as of January 21, 2005, anyone who wishes to be vaccinated against influenza in New York State may be immunized. Influenza activity has been widespread in New York State this season and could continue through March. For this reason, late season vaccination can still offer protection against influenza this season. During the vaccine shortage crisis, the Health Department worked to assure that New Yorkers who met the guidelines to receive flu shots had access to them. The department worked with providers, hospitals, long-term care facilities and other health care institutions and organizations, local health departments, and the federal government to make sure existing supplies of flu vaccine were directed where they were needed and to provide information to the public and providers during this emergency period. Though restrictions on the use of influenza vaccine have been lifted, vaccination coverage of priority groups is lower this year than in recent influenza seasons. Therefore, the Department of Health recommends that people in priority groups continue to seek out vaccination.
Sporting Nature Offers Homeopathy remedy kits for children, colds, coughs, flu, ears, eyes, hayfever, allergies, pregnant women, smokers, and travellers. Includes company information and contact details. http://www.natureshealthstudio.com
Extractions: Why use synthetic sports remedies when you can use... Mother Natures? At Sporting Nature we're dedicated to producing a range of 100% natural remedies and treatments for sports injuries. Our products are all derived from natural New Zealand sources and offer faster recovery times than synthetic alternatives with no side effects. Every one of our products is designed to give you optimum results so you can achieve your sporting goals and take control of your body and health.
Communicable Disease Fact Sheet Influenza or flu is a viral infection of the nose, throat, Influenza vaccine (flu shot) may be available through your personal physician or local health http://www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/communicable_diseases/en/influ.htm
Extractions: skip to main content Information for a Healthy New York Search this site: You are Here: Home Page Communicable Disease Influenza More information on Influenza (Flu) (flu) What is influenza? Influenza or flu is a viral infection of the nose, throat, bronchial tubes and lungs. There are two main types of influenza virus: A and B. Type A virus tends to cause more severe illness than type B. Each type includes many different strains which tend to change each year. When does influenza occur? Influenza occurs most often in the winter months. Illnesses resembling influenza may occur in the summer months but they are usually due to other viruses. Who gets influenza? Anyone can get influenza, but it is most serious in the elderly, in people with chronic underlying illnesses (such as cancer, emphysema or diabetes) or in those with weakened immune systems. How is it spread?
Extractions: Pandemic history Risks, prevention This season may have peaked ... Science magazine HEALTH LIBRARY Health Library All about influenza YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Flu Season Medical Research Applied Sciences or Create your own Manage alerts What is this? WASHINGTON (AP) The 1918 flu that killed 20 million people appears to be more birdlike than previously thought, according to findings by U.S. and British researchers that could help explain why it was the deadliest influenza strain ever recorded. The work doesn't have direct implications for Asia's current outbreak of bird flu, a strain that doesn't seem able to easily infect many people. But the findings, to be published Friday by the journal Science, do highlight how important it is to monitor flu in poultry since the research suggests it might take fewer genetic adaptations than once thought for a bird virus to begin spreading from person to person. The research, conducted separately by scientists at the Scripps Institute in La Jolla, California, and at Britain's Medical Research Council, used lung samples preserved from victims of the 1918 flu to reconstruct a protein crucial to their infection.
"Bird Flu" Could Be Slowed At The Source, Study Says With the world nearly defenseless against a possible bird flu pandemic, a new study evaluates ways of containing an outbreak. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0803_050803_bird_flu.html
Extractions: August 3, 2005 Some results are encouraging, but success remains dependent on improved surveillance, widespread drug availability, effective quarantine, and good old-fashioned luck. "If we end up with a pandemic like [previous catastrophic pandemics], we'll have a lot of people dead," said study team member Elizabeth Halloran, professor of biostatistics at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. A global influenza pandemic like the infamous "Spanish flu" of 1918 and 1919 could leave tens of millions dead. Many experts warn that the world is unprepared, and overdue, for just such a catastrophe. The leading candidate to spark such an event is H5N1, a strain of avian influenza, or bird flu. Pandemics occur when viruses mutate into forms that are easily passed from human to human and that cannot generally be stopped by the human immune system.
Extractions: Languages Time, Inc. Time.com People Fortune EW By CNN's Patricia Lai HONG KONG, China Hong Kong authorities are stepping up inspections in poultry stalls after slaughtering more than 6,600 chickens to prevent an outbreak of deadly bird flu. Some 790 chicken and poultry were reported to have died of H5N1 avian influenza in three poultry markets in Hong Kong, prompting the local government to slaughter all poultry in the stalls. In 1997, the outbreak of a fatal strain of the H5N1 virus killed 6 people in Hong Kong. The government slaughtered 1.4 million poultry to contain the flu. CNN.com Asia More news from our A government spokesman said no more poultry had been reported to have died of abnormal conditions related to the virus following Wednesday's slaughter. There was little fear that humans might be vulnerable to the virus. Lily Yam, Hong Kong's Secretary for the Environment and Food, said from samples recently collected from these three markets "genes sequencing tests have demonstrated that these viruses are not I repeat not the same as the kind of H5N1 chicken virus that we had in Hong Kong in 1997".
Extractions: Today's Globe Opinion Magazine Education ... Nation August 3, 2005 WASHINGTON In the event of a flu pandemic or a bioterrorism attack, help could arrive via door-to-door mail delivery or from a local fire station, Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said yesterday. Leavitt, in an interview, said it was clear that the system of delivering medicines in the United States is inadequate in the event of an emergency. He said it was ''in some ways an absolute certainty" that a flu pandemic would occur at some point in the United States. ''If it happens anywhere, there is risk everywhere," Leavitt added. The federal government is particularly concerned about bird flu. Since 2004, that strain has sickened 109 people, 55 of whom have died, because people lack immunity to the virus. Leavitt said the federal government was looking to stockpile 20 million doses of a bird flu vaccine and another 20 million doses of Tamiflu, an antiviral medication to treat the illness. The vaccine, in human clinical trials, has created an immune response in those who had taken it, he said. Still to be determined, he said, is how much is necessary to produce a sufficient response.
NJ.com: Everything Jersey A deadly, mysterious respiratory illness spread largely among health care workers in Asia could be a new strain of flu or even an exotic virus passed from animals to people, a health official said yesterday. The StarLedger http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1047885174259500.xml
Seattle Weekly News Fatal Flu By Roger Downey In Seattle, the police wore masks during the great 191819 flu pandemic, Briefly summarized, the human toll of the 191819 flu pandemic came to more http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0530/050727_news_flu.php
Extractions: in the News Editor-in-Chief Knute Berger is a regular guest on "Weekday," discussing the week's news, Fridays at 10 a.m. on KUOW-FM (94.9). Columnist Geov Parrish is a regular guest on "Mind Over Matters" on KEXP-FM (90.3) Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. and provides news commentary on KBCS-FM (91.3) Fridays at 4:30 p.m. Catch writers Steve Wiecking, Tim Appelo, and Gavin Borchert discussing theater, film, and music regularly on classical KING-FM (98.1). Mark Fiore Cartoons ... More on Flu: UPDATED King County's approach to pandemic flu preparedness The best resource for breaking news about the spread of avian flu is avianflu.typepad.com/avianflu The World Health Organization's main avian flu site is designed mostly for professionals, but there's a great deal of information there for concerned lay people as well. For a quick overview of pandemic influenza as it affected Seattle in 1918, see
Extractions: International Edition MEMBER SERVICES The Web CNN.com Home Page World U.S. Weather ... Autos SERVICES Video E-mail Newsletters Your E-mail Alerts RSS ... Contact Us SEARCH Web CNN.com Story Tools SEOUL, South Korea (Reuters) With a highly contagious strain of bird flu spreading, South Korea's government held an emergency meeting to discuss ways to contain the outbreak. Prime Minister Goh Kun chaired Sunday's meeting, which coincided with an agriculture ministry announcement of a new case of the virus. The bird flu virus, which can be deadly for humans, surfaced among chickens at a farm about 80 km (50 miles) southeast of the capital Seoul on Monday. Since then, the authorities have slaughtered 210,000 chickens and ducks, but officials say a further 405,000, at least, will be culled. A variant of avian influenza identified as H5N1 killed six people in Hong Kong in 1997 and 1998. South Korean authorities have asked for U.S. help to check whether the latest virus has the same gene as that strain. Hundreds of people living in the affected areas have been given blood tests, although no one has shown symptoms of the disease.
Flu Prevention And Treatments Learn how to prevent and treat the flu here. flu Vaccine Shortage the latest ongoing coverage from WebMD. WebMD Medical Reference http://my.webmd.com/content/pages/14/89767.htm?z=3074_00000_0007_00_03
Extractions: Web posted at: 4:57 p.m. EST (2157 GMT) (CNN) Sniffles and sneezes aren't always sure signs of the flu. Allergies, prompted by the hazards of home, can be the culprit for wintertime sickness. "These are allergies that are present all year round, but because we spend most of our time indoors, they are more symtomatic," says allergist Dr. Kinglsey Chin. The most common causes of allergic reactions: Dust mites tiny organisms from the arachnoid family.
Extractions: Search September 9, 2005 Registration Healthcare Professionals You are in: Cold and Flu Many people commonly and incorrectly confuse influenza (the flu) with the common cold. Differentiating a cold from the flu by symptoms alone can sometimes be difficult or impossible, but in general, people with the flu get sick more suddenly, look much sicker, and feel much weaker than if the ailment were a common cold. Higher fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more often symptoms of the flu, whereas runny or stuffy nose are more often associated with common colds. The common cold is a mild infection frequently caused by viruses other than the influenza virus. Flu is an acute infection of the airway tract in the nose and throat that can sometimes spread down into the lungs. It is the most frequent cause of acute respiratory illness and can affect people of all ages. It occurs every year mainly in late fall and early winter and in a widespread fashion affecting many people of different ages at the same time. The peak season for the flu in the northern hemisphere is from November through March. Some also confuse the flu illness with the term stomach flu . The latter is an illness associated with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and can be caused by viruses other than the influenza viruses and by bacteria. It is a stomach illness, whereas the flu is an illness of the respiratory system.
Extractions: Web posted at: 6:04 p.m. EST (2304 GMT) ATLANTA (CNN) A new flu strain that is slightly different from the ones that can be combated by this year's vaccine appears to be spreading in the United States. The Type A Sydney flu virus which is suspected of originating in Australia and arriving in the United States via passengers on a cruise ship has been found in about 40 percent of all influenza cases that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has studied since flu season began in October, said Stephen Ostroff of the CDC's National Center for Infectious Diseases. The CDC identified the Sydney strain as the cause of illness among Australian tourists who docked in New York in September while on a cruise to Montreal. "Specimens were collected, and it was realized what these individuals had was influenza," Ostroff said. "The strains were then looked at in more detail here at the CDC in Atlanta and they were characterized as being the A Sydney." Since then, the CDC has discovered the strain in Southern California and parts of New York. Health officials in both states have reported more flu cases than usual. The CDC expects that more cases of the Sydney flu will surface as the season peaks at the end of January.
Blast The Flu! - Méchant Grippe Canadian organization. Information on the need for immunizations to prevent the disease. In English and French. http://www.fightflu.com/
