"Globally, WHO estimates more than 3,500 people have died of swine flu ” far fewer than those killed by diarrhea, pneumonia, or road accidents," leading some experts, in turn, "to contend that WHO's prediction the virus could lead to 'civil disruption' in poor countries may be overblown." The article includes comments by health experts who question the WHO's recent funding appeal and the organization's handling of the H1N1 pandemic (Cheng, 9/24).
U.S. Health Officials Anticipate 6M H1N1 Vaccine Doses By Early October
Also on Thursday, U.S. health officials announced "[m]ore than six million doses of swine flu vaccine will be available by the first week in October, more that twice as many as had been recently expected, federal health officials said," the New York Times reports. Most of that vaccine "will be the FluMist nasal spray, which is recommended only for people ages 2 to 49 and not for pregnant women or people with health problems" (McNeil, 9/25). HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius emphasized there would be "plenty of vaccine for everyone who wants it," CNN reports (9/24).
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