Drug Resistant H1N1

Found not just in U.S. but also in the U.K. according to USA Today:

Epidemic experts say they are investigating the apparent spread of Tamiflu-resistant swine flu virus among four patients at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., and five in a hospital in Wales. These clusters appear to be the first in which a virus resistant to the antiviral Tamiflu, a mainstay of flu treat, has spread from person to person, researchers said Friday..."

"The four patients involved in this situation had the same resistance pattern," says Sexton, adding that researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are now testing virus samples from Duke to see whether they're identical. "The resistance pattern suggests that might be the case," he says."

OK. Don't panic! You have to remember that Tamiflu was just our backup. Our go to antivirals when we couldn't get hold of the real vaccines. The good stuff. This is just a minor set back. Whatever you do don't panic! They'll be time enough for that if the situation calls for it. Our suggestions is forget any broadcaster that tells you that the flu has peaked or that we've seen the worst of it. They're insane. We suggest you follow the advice of our favor Fed Dr. Anne Schuchat. She's the director of the national center for immunization and respiratory diseases.

I think usually we don't have this much influenza by thanksgiving. So we have seen with a lot of respiratory infections that there's increases in January right after the Christmas holidays, some people say, well, all the kids get together with their grand parents and that's a lot of exchange of warmth and love, but a little exchange of viruses, too. So we don't really know what's going to happen with thanksgiving. But we think it's critical, if you're sick, to stay home. And if your child is sick, to keep them away from others. (Listen)

We commend Reuters for having had the courage to say about the number of deaths from this pandemic.

At least 6,770 deaths have been recorded worldwide since the swine flu virus emerged in April -- but officials always stress the confirmed count represents only a fraction of the actual cases, as most patients never get tested.

Reuters also reported on a possible way to improve effectiveness and possibly distribution which to us means save more lives of individuals willing and unafraid of the vaccine and the process.

As U.S. health officials struggle to vaccinate tens of millions of Americans against the pandemic of swine flu, some are looking regretfully at one easy way to instantly double or triple the number of doses available -- by using an immune booster called an adjuvant.

These additives, often as simple as an oil and water mixture, broaden the body's response to a vaccine, reducing the amount of active ingredient called antigen needed.

They are widely used in European flu vaccines as well as in Canada. But not in the United States -- even though the federal government has spent nearly $700 million buying them.

The reason -- people might not trust them.

We're not one of those people and we encourage you to not be one of those persons. Think of it like faith. Say you have it and it turns out to not be worth the soil your bended knees knelt upon what have you lost? Nothing. Supposed you don't bend a knee and it turns out to be all that it was promoted to be and you're out of luck. It's better to be on this side of wrong than on that side. Hey, if you're a special kind of bad reaction to everything person by all means be cautious and just say no. Some of us are still trying to get a shot! Tamiflu was our ace in the hole. We'll just have to get another ace!