June 11, 2009. WHO Raises Pandemic Alert for Swine Flu
| SOURCE: | Air Security International |
The World Health Organization (WHO) raised its pandemic alert level to 6, the highest level, during a meeting about the A/H1N1 "swine flu" virus in Geneva on 11 June 2009. WHO officials have gone to great lengths to stress that the phase 6 designation is only an indication of the geographic spread of the virus and that they have not observed any increase in the severity of infections; most A/H1N1 cases have been relatively mild. The WHO is also considering eventually altering the alert scale to reflect the severity of viruses. The phase 6 designation will serve as a signal to pharmaceutical companies to expedite the production of a vaccine. The WHO is expected to recommend that companies finish producing seasonal flu vaccines. There have been at least 27,737 confirmed cases of swine flu in at least 74 countries. There have been 141 confirmed deaths. There is no indication that the WHO plans to recommend any travel restrictions.
Copyright © 2009, Air Security International, Inc.