Swine Flu Update: Wash Your Hands

- More than 100,000 people have become infected with H1N1 flu (swine flu) this week alone in England. A new website enabling people to access antiviral drugs was swamped with 9.3 million hits an hour and rendered inaccessible for hours. The government has ordered enough vaccine to inoculate the entire population. Telegraph

- The U.S. expects to have 160 million doses of swine flu vaccine available sometime in October. That much would cover only a fraction of the populations that this new influenza strain is sickening the most — school-age children, teenagers and young adults. AP

- Whether or not the H1N1 vaccine is ready in time, people “should still get their regular flu shot,” said Dr. Brianne O'Connor, a pediatrician in Brooklyn Heights. She emphasized that the regular precautions that apply to the seasonal flu also apply to the H1N1 flu. “The most important is hand washing, “ she said. Brooklyn Eagle

- Roche expects sales of Tamiflu to triple to 2 billion Swiss francs ($1.89 billion) this year. WSJ

- The federal government announced Wednesday that the first clinical trials of H1N1 flu vaccine candidates would start shortly. New York Times

- The government has put out a call for swine flu vaccine volunteers. See the video below:



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