The inevitable became official. Today the head of the World Organization of Health Margaret Chan announced that it had raised the pandemic alert level to 6, the highest level, indicating that a pandemic caused by influenza A (H1N1 ) virus of swine flu is ongoing. "The scientific criteria have been met," said Chan journalists gathered in the main WHO meeting room in Geneva, Switzerland, just after 18 pm local time. "The world is now at the beginning of the influenza pandemic of 09."
Agency officials all but acknowledged at a news conference Tuesday that the declaration was imminent, as they had in early May as well. WHO official count stood at 28.774 cases in 74 countries today, including 144 deaths.
Chan stressed that Phase 6 indicates that the distribution and does not represent an increase of gravity. WHO characterizes the severity of the pandemic as "moderate," but Chan warned that the virus "can change the rules, without rhyme or reason, at any time."
Yesterday, Chan spoke through teleconference with several WHO member countries on the spread of a (H1N1) in their places. entry led her to seek advice from an emergency Committee, as specified in the International health Regulations. " All member countries, as well as experts from the emergency committee reviewed the evidence and there was a consensus, a unanimous decision, we have indisputable evidence that we are the days from a global pandemic caused by a new H1N1 virus, "said Chan.
a major concern to WHO is that developing countries, already burdened with more lower diseases and health systems could be disproportionately affected by the pandemic. Chan urged international solidarity to prevent this from happening. "this is a time when the countries of the world ... must come together," she said. "the people of no country should be left behind without help." but it did not provide details when asked later how the supplies of a vaccine against the new H1N1 virus, which will be very limited initially, can be distributed fairly.
Some companies have already started to produce the vaccine against swine flu, said Chan; many others are now wrap their production of vaccine against seasonal influenza for next winter in the Northern Hemisphere and should go to the pandemic strain soon.
Asked what is likely to happen next, WHO chief expert of influenza Keiji Fukuda said that as many people worldwide become infected, immunity virus will build, which should eventually slow the spread of the virus. At that time, A (H1N1) is likely to become a seasonal strain, he said, joining the other three, including a human A (H1N1) currently circulating.
In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention immediately held a press conference to discuss the WHO decision. "The declaration of a pandemic does not suggest that there has been a change in the behavior of the virus, only that it is spreading to other parts of the world," said recently appointed Director Thomas Frieden CDC. "And really for all practical purposes, the US government was in phase 6 of the pandemic for some time. However, this is important because it is made to send the strong message that the virus is there, it is in all likelihood , here to stay, and it is important that we continue our aggressive efforts to prepare and respond. "
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