HEALTH ALERT: WHO Debates Whether To Declare Flu Pandemic
The World Health Organization (WHO) is consulting with its emergency committee of flu experts as the UN agency debates whether to declare a swine flu pandemic. A decision to declare a pandemic could trigger large-scale production of vaccines as the flu continues spreading worldwide. The June 11 meeting of the emergency committee of flu experts will help determine if that is the case. It comes just a day after reports from 74 countries to WHO indicated that the total number of confirmed flu infections worldwide has reached 27,737. The infections have resulted in 141 deaths. If the WHO does declare a pandemic, that would be a signal to health officials worldwide to plan for the possibility of larger numbers of people catching the virus. And the declaration could prompt pharmaceutical companies to speed up the production of vaccines in an effort to counter the flu’s spread. The disease, which was first detected in Mexico in March, is considered particularly threatening to younger adults.
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