In this Issue

Current Pandemic Flu Threat Level 3

Each issue, Affiliated Physicians brings you the World Health Organization's current Pandemic Flu threat level.

Confirmed Cases of Avian Flu (H5N1)

Human Cases of
Avian Flu (H5N1).
Click here.

Animal Cases of
Avian Flu (H5N1).
Click here.

Your Local and State Pandemic Planning Activities

Click here to find your State's activities.

Worldwide Headlines:

Avian flu in southern China

Bird flu spreading in SKorea, officials say

China's Illicit Farm Practices Threat to Health, Top Vet Says

Bird Flu Strikes Again, Kills Young Boy In Indonesia

New bird flu outbreak in Pakistan

DID YOU KNOW?

Avian flu (H5N1), also referred to as the bird flu, has been in existence and has affected humans since 1997. The first known case of the virus occurred in Hong Kong when eighteen people were stricken with severe respiratory disease. Six of the eighteen people died. Health officials determined that the cause of death was from close human contact with poultry that were infected with a particularly severe strain of influenza. Health officials ordered the killing of 1.5 million birds within three days. Watch how Avian flu has spread recently

Quick Links

Affiliated Physicians Pandemic & Seasonal Flu Services

Affiliated Physicians Corporate Web Site

World Health Organization

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy

PandemicFlu.gov

US National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza

US Department of State

OSHA

American Red Cross

Roche

Pandemic Influenza Canada

World Organization for Animal Health

Roche Introduces New
Tamiflu^® Program

Roche announced today the introduction of a flexible purchase program that will allow U.S. businesses to maintain access to their own stockpile of Tamiflu^® for use in a pandemic situation, with limited upfront investment and more adaptability to deal with unknown factors inherent in pandemic planning. 

Under the new plan, businesses pay a nominal annual fee to “reserve” their own stockpile of Tamiflu, which Roche will store and rotate to keep “in date.”  The contract comes up for renewal annually, at which time companies will have the opportunity to re-evaluate their investment decision.  If and when a company decides to take possession of the medicine – for example, if a novel strain of influenza virus begins human-to-human spread – they can purchase their dedicated product from Roche at the prevailing wholesale price.  Roche will guarantee delivery within 48 hours in most circumstances.

“This program addresses questions we’ve heard from executives, who are interested in securing Tamiflu for their employees, but desire more flexible planning options, especially with regard to timing,” said Mike McGuire, vice president of anti-infectives for Roche.  “We think this option will present something of a ‘tipping point’ for some companies, allowing them to create the best possible situation for the health of their business as well as their employees.”

Businesses can still purchase Tamiflu outright and consider pre-distribution to their employees, which is what some corporations have preferred.

For More Click Here

Employees Get A Shot At
A Luxury Vacation When
They Get Their Annual Flu Shot

In 2007, Affiliated Physicians launched its “Health Spa & Resort Getaway" flu promotion where our clients employees earned a “shot” at a 4-day, 3-night luxury vacation at the 5-star Royal Hideaway Hotel in Playa del Carmen on the Yucatan Riviera in Mexico.

The program was extremely successful, raising employee participation at companies that offered the promotion by more than 15%.

Affiliated Physicians is excited to announce that we will be offering participation in this program again for the 2008 flu season at no charge to the company or employees.

For more on this special flu shot program promotion designed to increase employee awareness and participation, click here.

To visit Affiliated Physicians flu information website click here.

Bird flu 'still a major threat'

The world is still at risk from a new pandemic strain of flu according to leading scientists.

The H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus has been out of the headlines for some time but experts say it still poses a potential threat.

I have been taking part in a vaccine trial against the virus and have just received my latest jab.

It is two years since I volunteered for a clinical trial in Oxford for a vaccine against H5N1.

In 2006 bird flu was a major news story in the UK following the discovery of a dead swan with H5N1 in Scotland.

>> Read More

Sanofi Pasteur Inaugurates High Tech Vaccine Production Facility to Respond to Soaring Demand Worldwide

VAL DE REUIL, France, June 25, 2008 - Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, announced today the inauguration of a high-tech vaccine production facility in France to respond to soaring demand worldwide. This new 100 million euros facility located in Val de Reuil (North West of France) incorporates the latest technology to produce vaccines that meet the highest standards of quality. It is part of 600 million euros investments undertaken by sanofi pasteur in France between 2005 and 2008.

“Sanofi Pasteur’s commitment to global health is exemplified by significant investments in vaccine production infrastructures. These efforts are aimed at meeting a world demand for vaccines expected to double by 2016”, said Wayne Pisano, President and Chief Executive Officer of sanofi pasteur, who inaugurated the new production unit. “The new facility will provide high-end production work environment for dedicated people who produce vaccines for the world.” The new highly automated facility can produce vaccines against 20 diseases. It is designed to be ready to switch to pandemic influenza vaccine in the event of a human pandemic influenza, and once a pandemic influenza strain is identified by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Sanofi Pasteur Val de Reuil site is a hub for global health with over two million doses of vaccines shipped worldwide each day. The new facility will further enable sanofi pasteur to fulfill its commitment of providing highest quality vaccines to protect people from infectious diseases wherever they live,” added Pisano.

Construction of the 7,800 square-meter building began in 2006. It is projected to be operational by the end of 2008, upon certification by health authorities. The facility is scaled to fill 200 million syringes and vials per year, increasing by two fold the current capacity at this site.

>> Read More

WHO to Update Guidelines for Possible Flu Pandemic

The World Health Organization says it is certain that one day the world will face a human influenza pandemic. But, it adds no one knows when that will happen.

The Coordinator of WHO's Global Influenza Program, Keiji Fukuda, says the near term risk of an avian influenza pandemic breaking out among humans is anyone's guess. Therefore, he says, it becomes all the more important that governments be prepared to help their people survive a disease that could potentially kill millions.

"If we are able to detect the first emergence of a pandemic early enough, then we will try to contain it and we will have a short window to do that. And, if we do not contain it or if it is beyond our ability to even try to do it from the beginning, then we will enter into a pandemic period, which will be the spread of what is now a human virus around the world. We are talking about trying to stop the first emergence, to slow the first emergence of a pandemic influenza," he said.

H5N1, the virus that causes bird flu, is largely an animal disease. Humans that have become sick have had close contact with infected poultry. Scientists are worried that one-day H5N1 will mutate into a form that can be easily transmitted from human to human. >> Read More