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(Best Syndication News) While the number of H1N1 Swine Flu incidents remains “widespread” in California, it is diminishing. This comes as good news after the announcement of a new recall of Swine Flu vaccine. Approximately 4.7 million doses were sent out nationwide before health officials discovered that they were not strong enough to meet the minimum public health standards (Read more about the epidemic below).

The majority of the vaccinations were already administered. The manufacturer, MedImmune, release a statement saying: “On December 22, 2009 MedImmune announced that it is voluntarily recalling unused doses of 13 specific lots of Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Monovalent Vaccine Live, Intranasal due to a slight decrease in potency.” There were no safety concerns the company added.

Hemorrhagic lung. Inset, a thrombus in a middle-sized artery Source: American Thoracic Society

(Best Syndication News) Researchers in Brazil have performed the first ever H1N1 “autopsy study” and found that those who died had a different set of problems when compared to those who survived. All of the patients who died had a “severe acute lung injury”. This new research will appear in the January 1st 2010 issue of the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (read about the three different causes of death below).

Patients with the non-fatal form of the disease suffered from a fever, cough and achiness (myalgia), while patients with the fatal form of the disease had difficulty breathing (dyspnea) with fewer problems involving fever and myalgia.

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[Best Syndication News] A study published online at the JAMA, reports that one dose of the H1N1 vaccine may be effective enough to protect children and infants from the spread of the influenza virus. The study was funded by the CSL Limited with funding from the Australian government's Department of Health and Ageing.

Originally it was recommended that children receive two doses of the 2009 H1N1 influenza A vaccine. Terry Nolan, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., from the University of Melbourne, Australia and colleagues studied 370 healthy infants and children that ranged in age from 6 months to 9 years that were given the H1N1 vaccination. They randomly assigned the children into two groups on would receive 15 micrograms or 30 micrograms of the vaccine in two separate injections 21 days apart.

Vicks Dayquil Cold and Flu Product Recall

[Best Syndication News] A recall has been issued by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) along with the cooperation of Procter & Gamble Co. which manufacturers Vicks Dayquil Cold & Flu liquidcaps medicine.

The recall is due to packaging concerns only and there is no problems with the medicine itself. The packaging needed to state “This Package for Households without Young Children.” The reason is the bottle does not have a child-resistant cap on it and the medicine contains acetaminophen. This poses a risk for children and does not meet the requirement set forth by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act.

There have been no injuries reported from this recall notice.

The only one being recalled is the bonus pack which has 24–count in the package of the Vicks Dayquil Cold & Flu Liquicaps

H1N1 - source: cc

(Best Syndication News) Health officials are acknowledging that the outbreak of the H1N1 may not have been as severe as predicted. The research, conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the UK Medical Research Council, indicates that life threatening events were fewer than expected.

“As more detailed data have become available, we have been ableto improve our estimates of how severe this disease is. Fortunately, the virus now appears to be near the milder end," said Marc Lipsitch, professor of epidemiology at HSPH and the study's senior author.

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