Kellogg's 'Immunity' Claim Stokes H1N1 Ire

Swine flu has killed at least 114 US children and teens

(NEWSER) - With the swine flu outbreak taking an enormous, and sometimes fatal, toll on American kids, the Centers for Disease Control today released the last of its stockpiles of the children’s version of flu drug Tamiflu. Some 114 youngsters have been reported killed by the virus, and the actual number could be triple that—and winter flu season hasn’t even begun yet. More»

Exposing kids to virus is a bad idea, pediatrician says

(NEWSER) - Parents who are throwing “swine flu parties” to get kids together in hopes of exposing them to the virus now, while it is in a weaker form, are on the wrong track, says a prominent pediatrician. Responding to a question from a US News and World Report reader, Thomas Sandora says the DIY immunizing technique is definitely not a good idea: "Swine flu parties are a dangerous gamble and a big mistake.” More»

People born before 1957 found to carry anti-H1N1 antibodies

(NEWSER) - People born before 1957 appear to have some immunity to the H1N1 virus, the New York Times reports. Tests show that older adults have antibodies that attack the virus, probably because they've been exposed to a similar virus. Experts believe the swine flue virus, like seasonal influenzas before 1957, is related to the virus that caused the 1918 pandemic, and is not linked to the viruses that replaced it after the 1957 Asian flu pandemic. More»

(NEWSER) - With panic over the H1N1 flu virus on the wane, some Americans are pondering allowing themselves to become infected in hopes of building immunity against potentially more virulent strains, the New York Times reports. Doctors are split on the idea. "I think it's totally nuts," says a flu specialist. "We don't know enough about how this virus could react." More»

Officials had taken measures to stop spread

(NEWSER) - The H1N1 swine flu virus has reemerged in Egypt, infecting 1,172 people and killing 56 since Oct. 8, Reuters reports. Some 16,373 have been infected in the country, with 281 deaths, since it was first reported there in June 2009. Egyptian officials last year culled all pigs, shut schools, and stopped sick travelers at airports. Worldwide, 18,450 have died from the virus, says the World Health Organization. More»