WHO’s Margaret Chan notches up the hype, orders vaccine efforts

Flopping Aces ^ | 04-29-09 | Mataharley

[Starman417]

Despite the evidence of dimishing cases in Mexico, and only 1,311 of the 2,498 believed to be sickened in that nation remaining in the hospital, WHO's Director, Margaret Chan, decided to rachet up the hype by raised the pandemic alert to Phase 5, calling a global outbreak "imminent".

WHO Director General Margaret Chan declared the phase 5 alert after consulting with flu experts from around the world. The decision could lead the global body to recommend additional measures to combat the outbreak, including for vaccine manufacturers to switch production from seasonal flu vaccines to a pandemic vaccine.

"All countries should immediately now activate their pandemic preparedness plans," Chan told reporters in Geneva. "It really is all of humanity that is under threat in a pandemic."

Adding to the fear mongering is newly appointed U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, predicting the lone death in the world outside of Mexico... a Mexican toddler with underlying health problems", visiting relatives in Houston... would not be the last death from the virus.

Per a SeattlePI report on the 2 year old:

The state's health director, Dr. David Lakey, at an Austin news conference, called it "highly likely" that the boy contracted the disease in Mexico before his trip to the U.S.

Officials in Brownsville are trying to trace his family's trip to find out how long they were in the area, who they visited and how many people were in the group, said Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos.

The boy, who was 23 months old, had "underlying health issues" before he flew to Matamoros, Mexico, on April 4 and crossed into Brownsville to visit relatives, state health officials said.

He developed flu symptoms four days later and was taken to a Brownsville hospital April 13 and transferred the following day to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, where he died Monday night.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday confirmed that he had been infected with the swine flu virus. The cause of the death was pneumonia caused by the virus, Cascos said.

Health officials insisted the boy posed no contagion threat to Houston. He had no contact with other patients at Texas Children's Hospital and none of the staff was exposed, said Dr. Jeffrey Starke, the hospital's director of infectious disease.

This case "shouldn't trigger any undue alarm in the community," Starke told a news conference. "The child did not acquire the virus in Houston, Texas."

The family was given antiviral treatments. Dr. Brian Smith, regional director of the Texas Department of State Health Services, noted that any secondary cases would have appeared by now.... there have been none.

As of this writing, 10 nations have had cases ID with the virus, but no deaths outside of Mexico. Egypt, with not one case reported, has been slaughtering pigs as a precaution.

In the US, cases have been reported in 11 States, and the number "surged" (I kid you not... "surged" is what the AP writer said in the Seattle account) to 100.

Considering that, according to the CDC statistics on their site, 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related complications; and about 36,000 people die from flu-related causes, it seems counterproductive for Chan to urge vaccine producers to turn away from seasonal flu vaccines, dropping everything to address a virus that appears to be running it's course without the large fatality numbers. But logic doesn't seem to be playing into the WHO's PR campaign.

While officials are stressing the community doesn't need to be alarmed, Sebelius - perhaps needing a big start to her career - can be heard about 1:40 min into the below video, gravely predicting more US deaths. Or would that be deaths of visiting Mexican nationals in US hospitals? Hard to figure..

[video]

Simultaneously Janet Napolitano is insisting that closing the Mexican border is without merit.

“Closing our nation’s borders is not merited here,” said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano at a mid-afternoon briefing, echoing comments she made earlier in the day while being pressed by senators at a hearing.

She said closing borders or U.S. ports would have enormous adverse economic consequences and would have “no impact or very little” to help stop the spread of the virus.

“This virus is already in the United States. Any containment theory ... is really moot at this time,” Napolitano said.

The POTUS? He vows "vigilence"... Not sure what his definition of vigilience is, but if it's akin to his protests of being clueless to where his Air Force One #2 plane was when it was buzzing Ground Zero in NYC, count me unimpressed with his staff communication.

[Petronski]

Perhaps the chief of WHO knows a bit more about this topic than an anonymous blogger calling himself “mataharley.”

[ClearCase_guy]

If it gets bad, and people start saying the President should have done more (like closing the border) — in short, if this starts edging toward a Katrina incident and people start searching for someone to blame — I suspect that the Libs will express outrage, demand that we move past the politics and concentrate on cutting carbon emissions.

[Dr. Ursus]

They will blame little Jose from hog spit,mexico.

[cripplecreek]

“Orders”?

LOL

[dennisw]

  

 

 

Margaret Chan is a ChiCom stooge

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/11/biz-07women_Margaret-Chan_KERD.html

 

The 100 Most Powerful Women
#37 Margaret Chan
08.30.07, 6:00 PM ET

 Director-general, World Health Organization
Switzerland

© SAMANTHA SIN/AFP/Getty Images

Battling outbreaks of avian influenza and SARS is just one aspect of Chan's job description. Chan has dedicated herself to minimizing epidemics before they happen by better disseminating information about diseases and outbreaks around the world. The World Health Organization's new International Health Regulations, which went into effect for member states on June 15, reflects this strategy. Chan adamantly believes these new rules are the only way to stop global outbreaks in an increasingly connected world. She joined the Hong Kong Department of Health in 1978, eventually rising to be director of health. She then moved to the World Health Organization in 2003, and became director in 2006. Her term lasts until June 2012.—Ryan Derousseau

[A. Morgan]

This could be just the first round of this swine flu, it may mutate like the 1918-1919 Spanish flu, when it returned it was very, very deadly.

[Red_Devil 232]

109 cases in US.

On average 200,000 are hospitalized each year with flu.

35,000 die each year from the flu!

PANDEMIC!!! /s

[TornadoAlley3]

WHO Director Briefing on Swine Flu Pandemic (transcript)

29 April 2009

As delivered by Dr. Margaret Chan, director of the World Health Organization, 29 April 2009

Ladies and gentlemen,

Based on assessment of all available information, and following several expert consultations, I have decided to raise the current level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5.

Influenza pandemics must be taken seriously precisely because of their capacity to spread rapidly to every country in the world.

On the positive side, the world is better prepared for an influenza pandemic than at any time in history.

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Preparedness measures undertaken because of the threat from H5N1 avian influenza were an investment, and we are now benefitting from this investment.

For the first time in history, we can track the evolution of a pandemic in real-time.

I thank countries who are making the results of their investigations publicly available. This helps us understand the disease.

I am impressed by the work being done by affected countries as they deal with the current outbreaks.

I also want to thank the governments of the USA and Canada for their support to WHO, and to Mexico.

Let me remind you. New diseases are, by definition, poorly understood. Influenza viruses are notorious for their rapid mutation and unpredictable behaviour.

WHO and health authorities in affected countries will not have all the answers immediately, but we will get them.

WHO will be tracking the pandemic at the epidemiological, clinical, and virological levels.

The results of these ongoing assessments will be issued as public health advice, and made publicly available.

All countries should immediately activate their pandemic preparedness plans. Countries should remain on high alert for unusual outbreaks of influenza-like illness and severe pneumonia.

At this stage, effective and essential measures include heightened surveillance, early detection and treatment of cases, and infection control in all health facilities.

This change to a higher phase of alert is a signal to governments, to ministries of health and other ministries, to the pharmaceutical industry and the business community that certain actions should now be undertaken with increased urgency, and at an accelerated pace.

I have reached out to donor countries, to UNITAID, to the GAVI Alliance, the World Bank and others to mobilize resources.

I have reached out to companies manufacturing antiviral drugs to assess capacity and all options for ramping up production.

I have also reached out to influenza vaccine manufacturers that can contribute to the production of a pandemic vaccine.

The biggest question, right now, is this: how severe will the pandemic be, especially now at the start?

It is possible that the full clinical spectrum of this disease goes from mild illness to severe disease. We need to continue to monitor the evolution of the situation to get the specific information and data we need to answer this question.

From past experience, we also know that influenza may cause mild disease in affluent countries, but more severe disease, with higher mortality, in developing countries.

No matter what the situation is, the international community should treat this as a window of opportunity to ramp up preparedness and response.

Above all, this is an opportunity for global solidarity as we look for responses and solutions that benefit all countries, all of humanity. After all, it really is all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic.

As I have said, we do not have all the answers right now, but we will get them.

Thank you.

[Ted Grant]

That’s the WHO for you - the World Wrestling Federation of health advisory outfits.

[PapaBear3625]

Perhaps the chief of WHO knows a bit more about this topic than an anonymous blogger calling himself “mataharley.”

It is perhaps an indicator of the times, that I will believe a blogger called mataharley over any international bureaucrat.

[PapaBear3625]

I have reached out to donor countries, to UNITAID, to the GAVI Alliance, the World Bank and others to mobilize resources.

She wants more power and money under her bureaucracy's control. By whatever means necessary.

[SparkyBass]

I mis-read the title as linking “Margaret Cho” to the “Swine Flu”.... appropriate :)

[blam]

Glenn Beck said on his radio program today that he is hearing rumors that the pandemic level will be raised to level six today or tomorrow. Six is the highest pandemic level.