H1N1 Influenza Center

Treatment of Pregnant Women with Suspected H1N1: A Conversation with Denise Jamieson of the CDC

It’s simple: pregnant women (for un-simple reasons) are at greater risk for flu complications. It’s true even among hitherto apparently healthy patients. Journal Watch spoke with a CDC researcher who’s just published a paper in Lancet that urges prompt treatment, even in the face of pending lab results, with antivirals. LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST…

ACIP Recommends Five Groups as Priority Targets for H1N1 Vaccination

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended which U.S. population groups should be targeted to receive H1N1 influenza vaccine when it becomes available. People over 65 have the lowest priority.
The 15-member ACIP says these five groups should be targeted:

pregnant women;
household contacts of infants under 6 months;
healthcare and emergency-services workers;
young people between 6 [...]

In Pregnancy, Treat Suspected H1N1 Promptly Without Awaiting Test Results

Pregnant women with novel H1N1 are at increased risk for severe complications, and they should be treated promptly with anti-influenza drugs, according to research from the CDC published in the Lancet.
READ MORE…

Neurologic Complications Observed in Children with Novel H1N1

The CDC has received reports of neurologic complications in four children in Texas hospitalized with novel influenza A (H1N1), according to an MMWR report. The neurologic disease observed in these four patients was less severe than that seen in seasonal influenza: two of the four had seizures, and all fully recovered. READ MORE…

H1N1 Update for July 21, 2009: Flu Cases Expected to Rise with Start of School

Cases of novel influenza A (H1N1) are expected to increase in the fall — “perhaps earlier than what we see with seasonal influenza” — Dr. Anne Schuchat said at a CDC press briefing on Friday. READ MORE…

H1N1 Update for July 13, 2009: Severe Disease in Obese Patients, Resistance Brief

The CDC reports that of 10 patients admitted to intensive care with confirmed H1N1 in Michigan, 9 were obese (BMI, 30 or above) and 7 were severely obese (BMI, 40 or above).
Separately, the WHO reported a third cases of documented oseltamivir-resistant H1N1 infection, leading the CDC to reiterate its call to limit antiviral use to [...]

Obama Warns of H1N1’s Return as Administration Outlines Preparedness Measures

President Barack Obama joined the White House’s H1N1 Preparedness Summit by phone to warn that “the potential for a significant outbreak in the fall is looming,” although he expressed “fervent hope” that a crisis might be averted. The summit, which was hosted by the NIH, included education and public health experts from across the [...]