Lisa Schnirring 
Staff Writer
Dec 21, 2009 (CIDRAP News) – Egypt's health ministry has confirmed an H5N1 avian influenza infection in a 21-year-old woman, the country's third case since late September, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported today.
The woman, from El Tanta district of Gharbia governorate, in northern Egypt, got sick with a fever and cough on Dec 15 and was admitted to the hospital the same day, where she was treated with oseltamivir (Tamiflu). She is in stable condition, the WHO reported. She is listed as Egypt's 90th WHO-confirmed H5N1 case, of which 27 have been fatal.
An investigation into the source of her infection revealed that the woman had close contact with dead poultry and had helped slaughter sick birds.
Egypt's Central Public Laboratories, one of the WHO's national collaborating centers, confirmed the case.
The country so far has recorded more H5N1 cases in 2009 than any other. Of 52 cases reported internationally, 38 were from Egypt. Of those Egyptians who were infected, only four died.
Egypt's latest case confirmation raises the global H5N1 tally to 447 cases, of which 263 have been fatal.
source: CIDRAP
2. CDC now to focus on getting vaccine to adults
Lisa Schnirring Staff Writer
Dec 22, 2009 (CIDRAP News) – The nation's supply of pandemic vaccine has grown to 111 million doses, enough so that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is turning part of its attention toward boosting the percentage of adults who get vaccinated.
Anne Schuchat, MD, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters that though the virus seems to be retreating in many states, nearly all of what's circulating is the pandemic H1N1 strain, and it's clear that the virus isn't going away.
The burgeoning supply of vaccine provides a good window of opportunity to be vaccinated, she said. "Now is the time to act. The flu virus is not taking off for the holiday."
Holiday gatherings provide a good setting to encourage friends and family members to be immunized. Schuchat said, advising, "Remind your loved ones to take care of their health and look for that vaccine."
New survey data from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health suggest that over the past few weeks, the percentage of children vaccinated has far surpassed that for adults. Schuchat said about half of Americans want to be vaccinated, but only one in three have done so. So far, about 60 million people have received the pandemic H1N1 vaccine, she said.
The Harvard poll found that, as of last week, about three quarters of parents who had tried to get the pandemic vaccine for their children were able to do so. About a third of parents said they didn't expect to have their children vaccinated, with about half of that group citing safety concerns.
Though the poll found that over recent weeks more adults were getting the vaccine, 55% said they don't intend to get vaccinated.
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