>>First batch of swine flu vaccine produced

Swiss pharmaceuticals company Novartis AG said Friday it has successfully produced a first batch of swine flu vaccine weeks ahead of expectations.

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The announcement comes a day after the World Health Organization declared swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus, a pandemic. The move indicates that a global outbreak is under way. WHO says drugmakers will likely have vaccines approved and ready for sale after September.

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>>WHO: Swine flu pandemic has begun, 1st in 41 years

The World Health Organization declared a swine flu pandemic Thursday — the first global flu epidemic in 41 years — as infections in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere climbed to nearly 30,000 cases.

The long-awaited pandemic announcement is scientific confirmation that a new flu virus has emerged and is quickly circling the globe.

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WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan made the announcement Thursday after the U.N. agency held an emergency meeting with flu experts.

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“The world is moving into the early days of its first influenza pandemic in the 21st century,” Chan told reporters. “The (swine flu) virus is now unstoppable.”

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>>Nations urge WHO to change criteria for pandemic

Dozens of countries urged the World Health Organization to change its criteria for declaring a pandemic, saying the agency must consider how deadly a virus is — not just how far it spreads across the globe.

Fearing a swine flu pandemic declaration could spark mass panic and economic devastation, Britain, Japan, China and others asked the global body on Monday to tread carefully before raising its alert. Some cited the costly and potentially risky consequences, such as switching from seasonal to pandemic vaccine, even though the virus so far appears to be mild.

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Medical authorities in Ontario are investigating a number of cases of suspected swine flu that has caused more than 100 deaths in Mexico and spread to at least two other Canadian provinces, the United States and Europe.

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“We’re in a unique opportunity in history that we’re watching, I think, a pandemic unfold,” said Low, who provided regular updates to the public during the SARS crisis six years ago.

Donald Low, medical director of the Ontario’s public health laboratories, says he believes the 1,600 reported swine flu cases in Mexico is ‘just the tip of the iceberg.’ (CBC)

“I don’t think anybody’s thinking that this is not across Canada.”

Full Article:  Ontario probes suspected swine flu cases amid pandemic fears