BB FANS

WHO accused of losing public confidence over flu pandemic

Loss of credibility could endanger lives, says vice chair of Council of Europe's health committee

Guardian

The great swine flu rip-off

Ministers forced to pay Glaxo for millions of doses that were never even received

DailyMail

Britain ‘not out of the woods yet’ over swine flu, experts warn
David Rose, Health Correspondent - timesonline

Flu jab fears grow as toddlers hospitalised

CLINICAL tests were never carried out on the latest seasonal flu vaccine - a first-time combination of seasonal flu with the feared swine flu H1N1 - that has left a baby girl fighting for her life in a Perth hospital and sparked fits, fevers and vomiting in up to 60 toddlers across the country.

TheAustralian

Swine flu theory on vaccine reactions

EXPOSURE to last year's swine flu outbreak may have predisposed children to the severe reactions they are now showing to influenza vaccinations.

That is one of the theories as mystery continues to cloak the reason why more than 250 children in Western Australia have been reported to have become sick after receiving the seasonal flu vaccine. The death of a Brisbane infant girl has also been linked to the vaccination.

As of yesterday, 55 children had suffered febrile convulsions after receiving the vaccine and a further 196 had experienced less serious reactions such as fever, vomiting and "grizzliness".

SMH.au

Parents 'pimp' kids for swine flu test

PARENTS are enrolling children as young as nine months in drug trials in exchange for hundreds of dollars.
The cash payments, which could breach national ethical guidelines, will ignite debate over how much should be paid to cover "reasonable expenses" of trial participants.

An industry whistleblower alerted The Sunday Telegraph after some parents were netting $900 by enrolling three children at a time into an H1N1 flu vaccine trial.

DailyTelegraph.AU

WHO swine flu experts 'linked' with drug companies

Key scientists behind World Health Organization advice on stockpiling of pandemic flu drugs had financial ties with companies which stood to profit, an investigation has found.

The British Medical Journal says the scientists had openly declared these interests in other publications yet WHO made no mention of the links.

BBC

Billions wasted over swine flu, says Paul Flynn MP

Billions of pounds in public money were wasted worldwide on buying drugs to combat a swine flu "pandemic that never was", says Newport West MP Paul Flynn.

He has compiled a report on the H1N1 virus for the Council of Europe.

He told BBC Wales' Dragon's Eye the World Health Organisation (WHO) made a "terrible mistake" in causing panic.

WHO said it reminded the public in its pandemic assessments that most people had mild symptoms and made a full recovery without medical treatment.

BBC

WHO declares swine flu pandemic officially over

Many countries had cancelled H1N1 vaccine orders and shut down telephone hotlines months ago

Guardian

Pupil dies of swine flu

Parents of pupils at special schools in Northern Ireland are being encouraged to get their children immunised after a pupil died


Guardian