Swine Flu Alert Expected to Hit Highest Level

Watchdogs accuse WHO of colluding with drugmakers

(NEWSER) - Was the H1N1 pandemic exaggerated? European officials are putting heat on the WHO over its handling of the pandemic, alleging the organization caused unnecessary panic and wasted millions of dollars. Reports released by an EU watchdog and the British Medical Journal go even further: they accuse the WHO of being influenced by drugmakers who stood to profit from unnecessary influenza preparation, the Washington Post reports. More»

(NEWSER) - The World Health Organization today instructed member nations to stop counting cases of the rapidly spreading swine flu pandemic and focus instead on the most serious, Reuters reports. “Trying to register and report every single case is a huge waste of resources,” a spokesman said. Authorities should continue to report clusters of infections, unusual cases, and “a more severe disease pattern.” More»

Agency orders worldwide vaccines

(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. More»

(NEWSER) - World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan told a summit in Mexico today that, though most cases of swine flu were not deadly, the virus cannot be stopped, the BBC reports. “With well over 100 countries reporting cases, once a fully fit pandemic virus emerges, its further international spread is unstoppable,” Chan said—adding that public perception is also tough to control. More»

Novartis defies WHO calls to give free doses to poor

(NEWSER) - Swiss pharma giant Novartis is defying the World Health Organization by refusing to donate swine flu vaccines to the world's poor, despite the designation of H1N1 as the first pandemic in 40 years, reports the Financial Times. Last week the WHO's director general called on drug companies to show "solidarity" with low-income victims, but Novartis is telling the poor to pay up. More»