American Academy of Pediatrics releases
new influenza policy. "The AAP recommends influenza immunization for healthy children between 6 and 24 months of age, for household contacts and out-of-home caregivers of all children younger than 24 months of age, and for health care professionals."
I don't get it. If the vaccine is not the right strain, what good is it?
World Health Organization is doing some
pandemic planning.
According to the earliest estimates, 20 million people died during the flu pandemic of 1918. That figure is still used in classrooms and textbooks, but as John M. Barry tells us in ''The Great Influenza,'' it's certainly too low. Modern experts say that 20 million may have died in India alone, and they calculate the total number of victims at somewhere between 50 million and 100 million worldwide. No disease in human history has caused so many fatalities, not even the Black Death. The 1918 influenza pandemic killed more people in 24 weeks than AIDS has in 24 years.
Interesting essay (New York Times - you'll need to register) on books on flu and other microbial threats, past, present and future.
New test can tell you whether you have the flu.
U.S. Sets Up Panel to Prevent Biotech Abuse
"the study of influenza to make a better vaccine could also lead to new super-strains of the virus that would kill millions. "
