Re: France reports 26 confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu
Re: France reports 26 confirmed cases of A/H1N1 flu
Swine flu: France ready to face an extension of the epidemic
PARIS - The French authorities stand ready to extend the epidemic A/H1N1 influenza (swine flu), while the number of cases has more than doubled in a week in France and that the passage in Level 6 Alert by the World Health Organization is imminent.
France has 57 confirmed cases, all non-"severe" and 25 cases under investigation, a month and a half after the beginning of the epidemic. "We're right in the epidemic form benign", told the Ministry of Health.
In the world, we approach the 22,000 cases, and WHO should be very short term to decide on a level crossing in 6 of the epidemic, which would become pandemic.
However, according to the ministry, a move to level 6 at the global level should not change for the moment in France, where there is level 5A - which means preparing for the pandemic, strengthening controls and systems of alert and inter-cell crisis.
"There is something quite expected with further dissemination of the virus in the world", told AFP Daniel L?vy-Bruhl, epidemiologist at the InVS. Officials are particularly worried that the source of all cases french is clearly identified.
But it continues to monitor airports seized people from countries heavily contaminated.
At the same time, the government is actively preparing for an autumn that will be risky, as regards the flu in the northern hemisphere. He wants to be able to "run," to offer the
vaccine to everyone, said Friday the Director General of Health Didier Houssin.
France has already taken an option to purchase 50 million doses from GlaxoSmithKline and discussions are underway with Sanofi Pasteur and Novartis to buy 50 million doses more. Mass production of vaccines by these companies, world leaders, is expected to begin later this month.
It remains to be seen whether it really necessary to vaccinate everyone, what the French law may impose according to specialists, or alternatively, to choose who should be vaccinated as a priority, as people with respiratory or heart disease, diabetes , pregnant women, the very old ...
Some of these benefits according to L?vy-Bruhl of "a certain immunity" with antibodies that could come "from exposure to a virus in their history, there are a few decades."
In any case, this vaccine will be independent from seasonal influenza, where production is still underway and there was no question of neglect. It is in France each year 4500 to 6,000 deaths, said there at the Ministry of Health.
In addition, the target populations of H1N1 vaccine will not necessarily be the same as those of vaccine for seasonal influenza, which concerns primarily the elderly.
The emergency also prepare the second wave with the strengthening of means of additional equipment, recruitment of personnel ... Thus, as the President of the French Society of Emergency Medicine Patrick Goldstein, the medical secretaries CHU Lille were filed in support of permanencia.
(? AFP / 05 June 2009 15:50)
http://www.romandie.com/ats/news/090605135058.pwx5zrh0.asp
2009-05-20 02:21:42 
