H1N1 Influenza Center

Online First September 30, 2009, from the New England Journal of Medicine

PERSPECTIVE
Novel H1N1 Influenza and Respiratory Protection for Health Care Workers
K.I. Shine, B. Rogers, and L.R. Goldfrank
Guidelines from the CDC recommend the use of an N95 filtering facepiece respirator. Drs. Kenneth Shine, Bonnie Rogers, and Lewis Goldfrank discuss the efficacy of personal respiratory protection measures, medical masks, and respirators.
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CORRESPONDENCE
CDC and FDA Response to [...]

Comparative Efficacy of Inactivated and Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccines

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Comparative Efficacy of Inactivated and Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccines
A.S. Monto and Others
Data are scarce regarding the comparative efficacies of the inactivated (intramuscular administration) and live attenuated (intranasal administration) seasonal influenza vaccines. During the 2007–2008 influenza season, 1952 healthy young adults were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of these two vaccines. The inactivated [...]

Online First September 23, 2009, from the New England Journal of Medicine

CORRESPONDENCE
Risk of Confusion in Dosing Tamiflu Oral Suspension in Children
R.M. Parker and Others
Medical and public health officials need to be alerted to the serious potential for dosing errors in children prescribed Tamiflu (oseltamivir) oral suspension. The authors recommend prescribing instructions to ensure its safe use.
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One H1N1 Vaccine Dose May Suffice for Older Children

Children aged 10 to 17 may need to receive only one dose of the vaccine against 2009 H1N1 influenza, preliminary results from the NIH indicate. Younger children do not show as strong an immune response with a single dose.

First H1N1 Vaccine Shipment to Include Live Attenuated Virus

The first batch of 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine, to be shipped the first week of October, will likely be in the form of intranasal spray containing the live attenuated virus, CDC officials said in a press briefing Friday.

H1N1 Update: Oseltamivir Resistance and Antiviral Use

The CDC reports oseltamivir-resistant 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus infection in two children who received prophylaxis and provides revised recommendations for antiviral use during the 2009 flu season. READ MORE…

Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus (”Swine Flu”) Probably Is More Virulent Than Seasonal Flu Virus

In an animal study published in Nature, the pandemic virus replicates faster and damages lungs more. READ MORE…

FDA Approves H1N1 Vaccines

The FDA approved four vaccines against 2009 H1N1 influenza on Tuesday, according to an agency news release. Package inserts can be obtained here. Several studies have showed that most healthy adults had a strong immune response after one dose (see the recently published research from the New England Journal of Medicine). An optimum dosing schedule [...]

Online First September 10, 2009, from the New England Journal of Medicine

Online First from NEJM — Articles on influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus. Published September 10, 2009.

The CDC’s Recommendations for Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Vaccine

Target groups for initial vaccine supplies include pregnant women as well as children and young adults.
The CDC has released its recommendations for use of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine. Although the vaccines are not licensed yet, the target date for the first available supply is mid-October 2009. State and local health officials will [...]