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WHO - Swine Flu Virtual Press Briefings - Archive

sharon sanders

Editor-in-Chief & President
Link -

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/multimedia/swineflupressbriefings/en/index.html

Swine influenza virtual press briefings

Audio files and transcripts from the briefings

28 April 2009 press briefing

Listen to the audio of the 28 April 2009 press briefing [mp3 4 Mb]
With Dr Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General ai, Health Security and Environment 27 April 2009 press briefing

Listen to the audio of the 27 April 2009 press briefing (22:00 GMT+1) [mp3 44 Mb]
With Dr Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General ai, Health Security and Environment

Listen to the audio of the 27 April 2009 press briefing (17:00 GMT+1) [mp3 26.3 Mb]
With Gregory H?rtl, Project Leader, Information Management & Communications, Health Security and Environment

Read the transcript of the 27 April 2009 press briefing [pdf 85kb] 26 April 2009 press briefing

Listen to the audio of the 26 April 2009 press briefing [mp3 28.8 Mb]
With Dr Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General ai, Health Security and Environment

Read the transcript of the 26 April 2009 press briefing [pdf 71kb] 25 April 2009 press briefing

Listen to the audio of the 25 April 2009 press briefing [mp3 15 Mb]
With Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General

Read the transcript of the 25 April 2009 press briefing [pdf 514kb]
 
Re: WHO - Swine Flu Virtual Press Briefings - Archive

Swine influenza virtual press briefings

Audio files and transcripts from the briefings

29 April 2009 press briefing

Watch the video of the 29 April 2009 press briefing (22:00 GMT+1) [wmv, 7min 13 sec]
With Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General

Listen to the audio of the 29 April 2009 press briefing (22:00 GMT+1) [mp3 57 Mb]
With Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General

Listen to the audio of the 29 April 2009 press briefing [mp3 37 Mb]
With Dr Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General ai, Health Security and Environment
 
Re: WHO - Swine Flu Virtual Press Briefings - Archive

This Link takes you to the WHO media center page which will list all the latest files - audio, video and transcripts.
At the time of posting the audio for the media briefing (30th) was available but a transcript had not been posted.
Just keep checking the link for updates.

This was an interesting briefing as Dr. Fukuda gave long and detailed answers to some question. More interview than press briefing towards the end. Topics included vaccine production capacity, seasonality in the N/S hemispheres and travel, more detail on the thinking behind changes to the pandemic levels.
 
Re: WHO - Swine Flu Virtual Press Briefings - Archive

No transcript yet but the .mp3 is available for May 1st.
Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, Director, WHO's Initiative for Vaccine Research fielded most of the questions.
Some key points
- Seasonal flu vaccine failed serum testing (i.e. it can not be expected to provide any protection)
- Seed vaccine should be ready to ship to manufactures in about 3 weeks
- Manufactures are well on the way to completing this years N. Hemisphere batch
- The plan is to switch to H1N1(2009) production ASAP, some may produce a quadravalent vax but monovalent is the focus
- 4 to 6 months for first vial and 1-2 billion monovalent after one year

In an answer to a question relating to kickback by the public about it being mild.
An explanation that the pandemic levels relate to transmissiblity and not to virulence. The pandemic of 1918, '57 & '68 are examples of very different levels of virulence. Pointing out that 1918 changed virulence between waves and we should not be complacent when dealing with this virus.
 
Re: WHO - Swine Flu Virtual Press Briefings - Archive

The .mp3 for 2nd May is now available as is yesterdays transcript,
Dr Michael Ryan, WHO Director of Global Alert and Response fielsded most of the questions.
- He was asked about CFR and said he did not want to give figures now but that they had a group analyzing data now and might have something tomorrow.
- He gave a very long and detailed day by day account of the dealings with Mexico going back to original reports of a suspicious outbreak on the 3rd of April.

Again use the link in post #7 to check for updates.
 
Re: WHO - Swine Flu Virtual Press Briefings - Archive

Today's .mp3 is now available but no transcript for today (3rd) or yesterday yet.
Dr Peter Ben Embarek, WHO Food Safety Scientist was guest scientist and most questions related to the Canadian swine infection.
- 2000 pigs on the farm about 200 got ill and all mild cases and are recovering, as is the human and one other person although it was not clear if they caught it from their colleague or the pigs.
- The message was pork is not a problem for the consumer but could be for the trade like slaughter-men and farmers. The journalists seemed very relieved to find Prossicutto was safe to eat. Personally I was a little confused by the message on handling raw pork and poultry products as it seemed different to that given re H5N1 but needs a journalist to ask a specific question to pin them down.

Use the link in post #7 to check for updates.
 
Re: WHO - Swine Flu Virtual Press Briefings - Archive

Today's .mp3 is now available but not the transcript. The transcripts for the 2nd and 3rd are now on the site.
Dr Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General ai, Health Security and Environment took questions.
- Confirmed count now 1025 with 26 deaths in 20 countries.
- Not firm yet but there is now a suspicion that the incubation period may be 2 or 3 days longer than the the 5 days normally quoted for seasonal flu.
- This flu has a higher than average diarrhoeal component at about 40%

Less enlightening than some of the earlier briefings as journalist wasted their question trying to get a comment on Mexico or China's actions - nothing doing. Also on numbers but he would not budge from the 'we only deal in confirmed case' line - a little disingenuous as they need suspecteds for an estimation of CFR . All in all more evasion than we have been seeing.

Use the link in post #7 to check for updates.

PS
I have just listened to Dr. Besser CDC briefing for today and he also got the incubation period question and said 2 to 7 days which is a bit at odds with WHO's 7 or 8. Europe may be better able to answer this question, than the US, as most of their cases were from travelers returning by air, giving more accurate contact dates than those areas with community level transmission.
 
Last edited:
Re: WHO - Swine Flu Virtual Press Briefings - Archive

Today's .mp3 is now available but not the transcript. The transcript for the 4th are now on the site.
Initial discussion of the 2nd scientific panel on influenza A(H1N1), with Dr Keiji Fukuda, Assistant
Confirmed 1490, deaths 30
- Age profile younger people typically mid 20s
- A bit of a rethink on the incubation period; now from 1 to 5 or 7 days
- Probably the most interesting part of the briefing was to a question that asked 'given the advances in medicine since 1918 could a repeat really happen?' (I paraphrased). While Dr. Fukuda failed to address the primary question of virulence (at which point I thought he might dodge the question) he did volunteer a frank appraisal of the ease with which surge capacity is over-topped and the consequence that ensue. It is refreshing to see some of the hard truths being embraced at this level.

There is one depressing aspect of these briefings which is the poor quality of the questions. I am very sorry if any of you are reading this but too many repeating questions from recent nights. In some cases boarding on plagiarism. Some are of course excellent. Jason Gale asked about how well the seed vaccine was growing in eggs but didn't really get an answer. If you can't thing of a question ask about the cell based capacity. How big is, how quickly could it be ramped up, could small quantities be used to speed up adjvant & clinical trials, could it provide early shots for HCWs or other know high risk groups. There are some close HA sequences among swine HAs is there a vetrinary vaccine that would provide protection, What about animal vaccine capacity could this be modified and retasked? Saves being told yet again that he won't pass comment on China's quarentine policy.
 
Re: WHO - Swine Flu Virtual Press Briefings - Archive

bump this

I am just bumping because I posted the link earlier but did not have time to write any notes.
 
Re: WHO - Swine Flu Virtual Press Briefings - Archive

No transcript yet but the .mp3 is available for May 6th.
Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, Director, WHO's Initiative for Vaccine Research fielded most of the questions.
Some key points
- We do not know how many shot will be needed to invoke immunity 1 or 2 (I add this because I saw a report posted saying 2)
- Depending on process some manufactures should have vaccine in 4 months and other 5 or 6.
- Negotiation are ongoing with manufactures regarding existing contracts and availablility to the poorer nations to try and get them some of the production run from the start
- The problem with the promise of cell based systems is they are largely only at stage 1 clinical trials and are unlikely to make a significant contribution to this pandemic event.

Journalists are still making the mistake of not reading my words of wisdom. Again trying to get the WHO to take sides in the Mexico China dispute.

This Link takes you to the WHO media center page which will list all the latest files - audio, video and transcripts.
 
Re: WHO - Swine Flu Virtual Press Briefings - Archive

I am a little-minded person: but if I was in one of these conference I will surely ask: why this novel H1N1 should behave as 1918 pandemic influenza virus?

Why are you so osbessed by 1918 pandemic?

This novel H1N1 shares commong genetic features as the resurrected 1918H1 has?

Have you kept into account novel treatment regimens?
 
Re: WHO - Swine Flu Virtual Press Briefings - Archive

Today's .mp3 is now available but not the transcript. The transcripts for the 7th is now on the site.
Dr Keiji Fukuda, Assistant Director-General took questions.
- Confirmed count now 2099 with 44 deaths.

not much new
 
Re: WHO - Swine Flu Virtual Press Briefings - Archive

12 May 2009 press briefing

Listen to Dr Nikki Shindo, Medical Officer, WHO Global Influenza Programme [mp3 41Mb]

No transcript yet

5251 cases in 30 countries

<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///D:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CADMINI%7E1%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="stockticker"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:RelyOnVML/> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Wingdings; panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:2; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:0 268435456 0 0 -2147483648 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:632755843; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:-197766182 1443125718 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-start-at:0; mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:-; mso-level-tab-stop:36.0pt; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-18.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} ol {margin-bottom:0cm;} ul {margin-bottom:0cm;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> This was an excellent briefing and well worth listening to as it is the first to really give an authoritative overview from the clinical team.
They are working on an ?Initial Guidance for Clinical Management? document for release soon
Key points
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]<!--[endif]-->Regarding numbers: they are likely to be skewed as they are based on lab confirmed cases while <st1:country-region><st1:place>Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> and the <st1:country-region><st1:place>USA</st1:place></st1:country-region> have been prioritising the testing of samples from severe cases. All of the following should be read with this in mind.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]<!--[endif]-->About 10% are requiring hospitalisation & the preliminary <st1:stockticker>CFR</st1:stockticker> is 1.4% (remember based on skewed confirmed data) also remember this is with current high levels of health care access at this pre-pandemic stage.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]<!--[endif]-->The above, plus the fear of antiviral resistance acquisition, mean vaccine production should be pursued.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]<!--[endif]-->Clinical cases do not follow the seasonal flu pattern. Seasonal flu death rates include all deaths in which flu is a factor.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]<!--[endif]-->Most cases are mild but, of the severe cases/deaths, they fall into two groups those that have other medical conditions and a group of young healthy adults. The high risk factors include pregnancy, the immunocompromised & and those that would be regarded as high risk for seasonal flu. They are looking hard at the young healthy group for a common factor but numbers are small and no pattern yet.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]<!--[endif]-->Current guidance for treatment of general population: Do not use antivirals and do not hospitalise. Do use antipyretics, analgesics, analgesics (but not aspirin), antibiotics & oxygen as required - also build up stockpiles of these.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]<!--[endif]-->Pneumonia: Primary in severe cases, little secondary (but expect this to change), some ventilator associated case.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]<!--[endif]-->They are urgently seeking data from physicians regarding treatment results with antivirals, especially zanamivir. While resistance is confirmed in vitro little is known about clinical efficacy.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->-[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]<!--[endif]-->Due to the complex developing system of strains and resistance they are building a matrix ? along with rapid regional strain prevalence detection ? more clinicians to use in choosing treatment options.
 
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