H1N1 pandemic is over, health director says

The global H1N1 pandemic is over, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization said Tuesday.

"We are moving out of the pandemic into the post-pandemic period," said Margaret Chan, director-general of the WHO.

Chan said that while several countries -- including India and New Zealand -- are still experiencing significant H1N1 flu transmission, out-of-season flu outbreaks are no longer being reported in the northern or southern hemispheres.

"This pandemic has turned out to have been much more fortunate than what we feared a little over a year ago," Chan told reporters in a news conference Tuesday.

She attributed the end of the pandemic to several factors: that the virus did not mutate to a more lethal form, the H1N1 flu vaccine proved to be a good match and widespread resistance to the antiviral drug Tamiflu did not develop. "This time around, we have been aided by pure good luck," Chan said.

The WHO announced the global H1N1 pandemic June 11, 2009. A pandemic is a sudden outbreak of a disease that is spread by human transmission, which quickly becomes widespread and affects a large region or several countries.

The CDC in Atlanta, Georgia, said the U.S. Public Health emergency for H1N1 ended on June 23 of this year.

H1N1 is no longer the dominating flu strain. Chan said health officials are now seeing a mixed virus pattern: In addition to the H1N1 strain, an H3N2 flu strain and Influenza B virus also are circulating. All three strains are included in the upcoming seasonal flu vaccine.

So H1N1 is not gone, but as the WHO explains, the flu activity health officials are now seeing is typical seasonal flu activity.

The CDC statement came after an emergency committee of the WHO said Tuesday the public health emergency triggered by the emergence of the H1N1 virus "should be considered over."

The committee advised Chan "that the world was no longer experiencing an influenza pandemic," the organization said in a statement.

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That's weird because I had a dream that there was a major H1N1 breakout. Only time will tell which one of us is right.

What pandemic?
                                                                     

Originally posted by Edews
What pandemic?
                                                                     

Took the words right out of my mouth, there was what? 60 people sick in NYC?
Thats 0.00075th of the NYC population.
It would be nice if someone got me a more accurate number.

I believe they are talking about the overall pandemic in all countries. It's not bad here in the U.S. but other nations like China were still having outbreaks.

Thank you WHO for finishing what you started. This brings something to mind, this alleged flu pandemic lasted over a year. They want to create a trend of year long vaccination campaigns. Multiple flu shots will be recommended (in many cases required; health care workers, government employees, school children...) and given throughout the year, every year. What's in those shots, we can only assume.

[edit on 11-8-2010 by BenIndaSun]

Phew !

Pandemic over woohoo :-) wonder if its time for a new SuperDuper Bug then.

www.medicalnewstoday.com...

Originally posted by coffeesniffer
Phew !

Pandemic over woohoo :-) wonder if its time for a new SuperDuper Bug then.

www.medicalnewstoday.com...

That 'bug' is much more concerning than h1n1. Not sure what their aim is, seeing as how they won't prepare a vaccine for it, although I'm sure they will have the "antidote" available as things heat up. And I'm sure they will quarantine as needed, limit travel, isolate communities...control control control

There was a pandemic not of H1N1, but of the WHO telling that a pandemic was imminent.... ROFLOL