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Fears Mount as WHO Declares Swine Flu 'Unstoppable'

Agency orders worldwide vaccines

By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 14, 2009 5:37 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Concerns continue to mount about swine flu in the wake of the World Health Organization's declaration that the illness is "unstoppable" and the deaths in Britain of two apparently strong individuals, a 6-year-old girl and a doctor. WHO officials are calling for worldwide vaccines to protect populations before they contract the disease. The CDC estimates at least 1 million people are currently infected in the US alone.

British officials, meanwhile, scrambled today to find clues to the sudden deaths of the physician and girl. “It is very important to keep a careful look for clusters of severe cases that might indicate that a mutated virus has arisen that can be more virulent than the swine flu that has circulated until now,” said one expert.

A man shows a box of the medication Tamiflu that he was prescribed to take for swine flu outside a hospital in Buenos Aires.
A man shows a box of the medication Tamiflu that he was prescribed to take for swine flu outside a hospital in Buenos Aires.   (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
A Thai student wears a face masks to protect herself in Bangkok.
A Thai student wears a face masks to protect herself in Bangkok.   (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
A child wears a mask as a precaution against swine flu outside a hospital in Buenos Aires.
A child wears a mask as a precaution against swine flu outside a hospital in Buenos Aires.   (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
lindamae
Jul 15, 2009 5:30 AM CDT
At least 1 thousand people die each day from the regular flu. Why haven't we done anything about that? Plus, the last time we had vaccines for everyone, there were more deaths from the vaccine than the flu. Follow the money. Who gets to make money - Obama has pledged 1 billion - from the sale of a faulty vaccine? Not Me.
Unaffiliated
Jul 14, 2009 12:59 PM CDT
I know you didn't ask, but those masks are only effective if worn by the infected. If you want to keep from inhaling airborne viruses, you need to get a respirator to filter them out. Best defense is what Mom always told you, wash your hands and cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough.
Unaffiliated
Jul 14, 2009 12:57 PM CDT
Where did the mainstream media go on this story? When swine flu first broke out, they had up to the minute reports, complete with maps showing the 12 or so cases. How did we get to 1M infections in the US? What other fear mongering stories did they find to distract themselves with?

Full text of the swine flu research paper (PDF)
Nature

 
public health • infection • World Health Organization • influenza • flu • pandemic • swine flu • WHO • H1N1 virus

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