H1N1

One of the most virulent strains of influenza in history ravaged the world and decimated the populations around the world. Present during World War I, the 1918 strain of pandemic influenza found many opportunities to spread through the war. At the time, science wasn’t advanced enough to study the virus, much less find a cure; medical personnel were helpless when it came to fighting the disease, and so the flu went on to infect millions and kill at a rate 25 times higher than the standard.

It takes about eight months for the vaccines to be developed using chicken eggs. If another pandemic were to arise, we would not have access to the vaccines for at least eight months. Moreover, once the vaccines are made, they must be used. Vaccines that are not used cannot be stored and must be destroyed because the vaccines break down. The vaccines do include the three influenza viruses; two against different strains of type A, and one against the type B virus. (Tenpenny, 2008, Davidson, 2007-2009, Offit, 2008).

Risk assessments are vital to be included within a laboratory setting as it involves evaluating the potential risks which may be involved when completing an experiment or activity. The employer must be aware that risks which someone is exposed to at work must be reduced by them responsibly implementing precautions in order to make the setting safer. They need to analyse: what could possible go wrong? How likely is it? And what would be the consequences? These questions are regularly used when creating a risk assessment so that every risk sheet has a similar outline and meets the criteria of an effective risk assessment. It covers the general procedures, the working environment and the handling, storage and transportation of various substances.

Medical facilities should not mandate flu vaccines without studies to prove decreases in transmission of the influenza virus. Facilities should continue to promote safe practices to prevent infections of all contagious illnesses.

Health care governments have endorsed an assortment of vaccination policies and mediations to safeguard against the known dangers of influenza communication, with longer patient stays, absenteeism, intermissions in health care, and death. Studies assessing the consequence of health care workers vaccination found that health care workers influenza vaccination was linked with a decrease in patient death (Murana, 2014). Assessing the results of health care worker influenza vaccination on patient results anticipated that if all health care workers were vaccinated, patient influenza infections could be stopped.

Seasonal influenza is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the industrialized world. The United States alone averages more than 23,000 influenza-associated deaths annually (Cortes-Penfield, 2014). Everyone is given the option to receive the flu vaccination each year. The vaccine is offered in health care facilities, clinics, and pharmacies around

Ms. Howeth is an Environmental Health and Safety Specialist, #11848, in Research Integrity & Compliance (RIC). She is highly motivated, energetic, and well organized. Debra, as the alternate “Responsible Official” (RO) for the USF Biosafety Program, plays an integral part in the success of the Biosafety Program. She continues to exceed all goals set for her. These goals may pertain to

The FDA approved in 2003 the commercialization of FluMist® (MedImmune) the first influenza vaccine with attenuated virus. This trivalent vaccine is administrated via intranasal spray because the virus replicates in cells lining the nasopharynx [21–23]. Use of live-attenuated vaccine has been limited to individuals two through forty-nine years of age based on a failed efficacy to prevent febrile illness in adults fifty through sixty five years of age [22]. As in the TIV the first step for the vaccine production is the generation of the viral seeds that presents the circulating HA and NA and six internal segments (PA, PB1, PB2, NS, NP, M) from the cold-adapted (ca) A/Ann Arbor/6/60 or ca B/Ann Arbor/1/66 (the master donor virus for LAIV (MDV)) [24, 25]. The manufacture of approved FluMist® is also based on the injection in embryonated eggs of the reassortant virus and the recovery of the allantoic fluid with the screening of the reassortant that grows well at 25ºC (cold-adapted) and present restricted growth (ta) at 37-39ºC and is attenuated (att). The vaccine is tested in the ferret model [22].

The Black Death has affected this world for many years. The first recorded outbreak of the plague was in central Asia. From there, the plague spread via the Silk Road, eventually reaching Africa, Europe, and other parts of Asia. The first major pandemic was called the Justinian plague, recorded in the 6th century during the Byzantine Empire. The plague would appear to come and go throughout the ages, wreaking havoc where it could. The next major pandemic occurred in Europe, where it was named the Black Death. This is the most infamous pandemic because it wiped out about 60% of Europe’s population, which was economically devastating.

Based on the organization you have selected, this week you will write a (500 word maximum) plus a spreadsheet) Critical Risk Assessment and Milestones Schedule that addresses the following (guidelines):

An assessment of the risks to health arising from the use of hazardous substances at work and deciding what precautions are needed,

Spring of 2009 in the US, there was an appearance of widespread influenza A (pH1N1) which affected school aged children of ages 18 years and younger. It is critical to understand the appearance of the influenza virus and the factors in the population because children play an important role in the spread of influenza virus. The school year of 2009-2010, we assessed several of the Pennsylvania Influenza Sentinel School Monitoring System (PISSMS). They are a voluntary system of schools that reports data regarding absenteeism and trips to the school nurse for influenza-like illnesses (ILI). Contributors included participating schools and nonparticipating schools to evaluate representativeness. Participating schools provided data regarding absenteeism

In 2009 I happened to be one of the many thousand who contracted H1N1 type A. My symptoms started off just like a regular flu, with body ache, low grade fever, cough and some chest and nasal congestion. The symptoms continue to last for 3 more days. My doctors prescribed some cough syrup and fever reducer medication but my symptoms persisted and worsened. I was not able to lay flat, which increased my shortness of breath. I was sleeping and napping in either a tripod or sitting position. I soon checked myself into the emergency room where I was initially admitted with a diagnosis of pneumonia. Soon after my admission I was intubated and transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU). I was sedated and was placed on the Rotopron bed (a bed that flip the patient upside down so that their lungs can expand better). I was placed on high ventilator settings, with high sedation medications as well as receiving 2 units of red blood cell due to the bleeding of my alveoli-a thin walled sacs at the farthest of the lung. When my 14 day of stay was reached I was trachea with a Shirley number 8 cuffed. I was a patient in the ICU for a total of 24 days. I was DE cannulated and discharge home where I began my

There are two types of influenza vaccinations, live-attenuated and inactivated. Currently, most common type of influenza vaccine is the inactivated type which is grown in chicken eggs. The egg-based production method has its advantages, but its many drawbacks are leading to a shift towards the live-attenuated vaccine which is produced in cell cultures. Both vaccination types protect against the influenza virus by triggering an immune response in the body that releases antibodies to fight off the virus. In the inactivated vaccine, the influenza virus is killed so that it cannot infect the person, but the antigens that trigger the immune response are still present. In the live-attenuated vaccine, the influenza virus is still alive but weakened so that it cannot infect the host. The weakened virus also carries the antigens that trigger the release of antibodies by the immune system. Both vaccines have proved to be effective in protecting against and preventing the spread of the influenza virus.

Background & Audience Relevance: Influenza is an infection that can affect anyone around the world. Am quite sure almost everyone, if not all of us, have been infected with influenza at some point in our lives.