Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="92%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=en_content_title width="66%" colSpan=2>DOH predicts A(H1N1) flu to taper off by March
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2 height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Opposition DPP lawmaker Huang Sue-ying said the DOH should not jump to conclusions </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2 height=5></TD></TR><TR><TD class=author width="59%">Taiwan News, Staff Reporter
Page 2
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The Department of Health declared the A(H1N1) swine flu virus under control and hinted the situation would return to normal by March, despite the absence of confirmation from the World Health Organization, reports said yesterday.
Opposition Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Huang Sue-ying said the DOH should not jump to conclusions, especially since there were still 47 unexplained cases of grave side effects that might have been caused by the anti-flu vaccine.
The DOH said that if no high number of new cases erupted during the Lunar New Year holiday next month, the WHO might downgrade A(H1N1) to the level of a seasonal epidemic.
Huang said the DOH should first solve the problems surrounding the vaccine produced by Taiwan's Adimmune Corporation. The company products have been accused of causing several deaths, miscarriages, and other medical side effects.
The problems led to the DOH giving patients the choice between the Adimmune vaccine and its foreign competitor produced by Swiss-based Novartis.
The number of problem reports for the Adimmune vaccine exceeded problems with common flu vaccines by three to nine times, Huang said, yet only one case of serious side effects had been officially linked with the product. She accused a member of the committee ruling on the cases of conflict of interest because he also worked for Adimmune.
Huang said she feared the DOH would use the tapering off of the epidemic as an excuse to avoid an explanation of the problem vaccinations.
On Tuesday, the WHO said that A(H1N1) was still present around the world and that it would be premature to declare the epidemic over. More than 14,000 people in 200 countries and territories died of the virus, the WHO said.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news...g_news&cate_img=83.jpg&cate_rss=news_Politics
</TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2 height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2>Opposition DPP lawmaker Huang Sue-ying said the DOH should not jump to conclusions </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2 height=5></TD></TR><TR><TD class=author width="59%">Taiwan News, Staff Reporter
Page 2
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
The Department of Health declared the A(H1N1) swine flu virus under control and hinted the situation would return to normal by March, despite the absence of confirmation from the World Health Organization, reports said yesterday.
Opposition Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Huang Sue-ying said the DOH should not jump to conclusions, especially since there were still 47 unexplained cases of grave side effects that might have been caused by the anti-flu vaccine.
The DOH said that if no high number of new cases erupted during the Lunar New Year holiday next month, the WHO might downgrade A(H1N1) to the level of a seasonal epidemic.
Huang said the DOH should first solve the problems surrounding the vaccine produced by Taiwan's Adimmune Corporation. The company products have been accused of causing several deaths, miscarriages, and other medical side effects.
The problems led to the DOH giving patients the choice between the Adimmune vaccine and its foreign competitor produced by Swiss-based Novartis.
The number of problem reports for the Adimmune vaccine exceeded problems with common flu vaccines by three to nine times, Huang said, yet only one case of serious side effects had been officially linked with the product. She accused a member of the committee ruling on the cases of conflict of interest because he also worked for Adimmune.
Huang said she feared the DOH would use the tapering off of the epidemic as an excuse to avoid an explanation of the problem vaccinations.
On Tuesday, the WHO said that A(H1N1) was still present around the world and that it would be premature to declare the epidemic over. More than 14,000 people in 200 countries and territories died of the virus, the WHO said.
http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news...g_news&cate_img=83.jpg&cate_rss=news_Politics