A telephone hotline manned by 1,500 operators trained to help callers to identify if they have swine flu. A website will also help people to diagnose themselves

Who will answer the phone?

The Government has brought in recruitment agencies and call-centre companies to provide staff — at least 2,000 operators to staff the 1,500 phones in shifts, at call centres in Bristol, Plymouth, Cardiff, Swansea, Bangor, Newry and elsewhere. One of these firms is Teleperformance UK, whose staff usually handle calls for Sainsburys, the Identity and Passport Service and debt collection lines. According to Unison, some will come from other government departments, too.

Will they be medically trained?

Operators will not have medical training and will be paid less than £7 an hour, working shifts from 8am-11pm

How will they be any use at all?

They will not be seeking to identify different conditions, but only to ascertain whether a caller is suffering from a specific set of symptoms: in this case headaches, vomiting, diarrhoea, high temperature, coughs and fever

How will they do this?

They will be trained to use a diagnostic computer program called InterfleCS Health Watch, which has been tested rigorously, according to the Department of Health, and which will guide them as they ask for callers’ symptoms. It will then help them to ascertain how serious a caller’s infection is, and if it has the characteristics of swine flu. The website will offer the same process direct to the public

Then what?

If you have the symptoms, you will be given an authorisation number that you should give to a “flu friend” — someone who is not infected — who can pick up free antiviral medication from your nearest antiviral collection point. You may also be referred to a GP in more serious cases or where other conditions may cause complications

Do I have to use the service or can I still contact my GP?

People with chronic lung, kidney or heart disease, as well as those aged over 65 or those with children under 5, are being advised to keep in touch with their GP, but can still call the National Pandemic Flu Service. The Department of Health is advising parents with children under 1 year to contact their GP as soon as possible if their child is showing symptoms of swine flu

How long will it run?

Staff are being hired on temporary contracts. The expectation is that the service will run for the next six months, depending on the spread and severity of swine flu

Related posts:

1. National Pandemic Flu Service

Here we answer your questions:

Does travel insurance cover swine flu?

Travellers who contract swine flu should be covered by travel insurance policies, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI). Policyholders have to take out the cover before catching the disease to qualify for a payout. However, you do need to show symptoms. A “general disinclination to travel because you think you might be ill wouldn’t normally be enough”, according to the ABI.
Related Links

How do I make a claim?

If you think you or your family may have developed Swine flu a week or less before you travel check with the NHS or your GP. If you or someone in your family contracts the disease, contact your tour operator, airline and insurance company to cancel your trip. You should get a letter from your doctor, and tell your insurer before making the cancellation. It is essential that you take out travel insurance at the time of booking.

What will insurance cover?

Insurance should refund the cost of the trip should it be necessary to cancel. Most policies will cover the cost of medical bills if you begin suffering from swine flu while abroad.

Is it possible to claim a refund for the entire family if just one member contracts the disease?

Insurers should cover the cost of cancelling a trip for the whole family if the trip is cancelled because one family member contracts swine flu, according to the ABI.

Are there any exceptions?

Your policy could be invalidated if you travel to a particular country against advice from the Foreign Office or the World Health Organization (WHO). However, if the Foreign Office advises against travel to any particular country or destination after you have booked, the policy should pay out. If you travel with clear symptoms of swine flu your claims for medical expenses abroad may be rejected, the travel association ABTA has warned.

What should I do if my trip is cancelled by the tour operator?

First, travellers should contact the tour operator or airline for possible alternative arrangements. Travel insurance will usually cover any changes to the trip. If there is no alternative, your insurer should usually pay out.

Is there a different procedure if I am held in quarantine?

If you are held in quarantine and then turn out not to have been ill, your insurer may decline to pay the costs of a new flight home. If you are diagnosed with an illness while in quarantine, then you are likely to be covered. Contact your insurer for information about its individual procedure. AXA, for example, will consider claims from customers who are quarantined on their trip if they are placed in compulsory quarantine for more than 48 hours.

Where can I get more advice?

Medical advice, including information on symptoms, is available at the Department for Health website

Information about travel restrictions can be found at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website

The ABI website also has more infomation on insurance claims for swine flu

No related posts.

Several manufacturers have produced initial batches of a H1N1 vaccine and some clinical trials are already underway.

WHO director of vaccine research Dr Marie-Paule Kieny also sought to calm fears about safety of new vaccines.

She said the vaccines were based on “old and proven technology”.

Figures show continuing rises in cases in the southern hemisphere in the past seven days.

Argentina has particularly seen a large increase and deaths now stand at 337.

And there has been a rise in cases of 25% in Australia.

Although it has not yet been clarified who would be first in line for a vaccine, it is likely to be those who are most vulnerable, such as pregnant women and young children.

Some experts have raised concerns about the lack of safety data on flu vaccines in these groups.

In particular, a very rare neurological condition called Guillain Barre syndrome affected 500 people during a US vaccine programme against swine flu in 1976.

Dr Kieny said much was known about flu vaccines in these groups from seasonal vaccines given every winter and added that regulatory agencies would be monitoring for any signs of adverse reaction.

“The quality controls on today’s vaccine are much better than they were 30 years ago,” she added.

Fast track

Regulators in the US and Europe have special plans in place to fast-track swine flu vaccines, some of which are based on conventional seasonal flu vaccines and some which use newer technology.

Clinical trials are already underway in China, Australia, USA, UK, and Germany.

It comes as drug company, Baxter, has announced the production of the first commercial batches of its swine flu vaccine Celvapan.

The vaccine has been grown using cell culture, a much faster method than the traditional way of growing it in eggs.

Baxter is one of two companies contracted to provide pandemic flu vaccine to the UK, the other being GlaxoSmithKline, and both plan to start clinical trials this month.

One key part of the trials is to work out whether people need one or two doses of the vaccine.

Ministers have repeatedly said they expect to have enough doses for half the UK population by the end of the year.

Related posts:

1. Fast-tracked swine flu vaccine will be safe, officials insist
2. First human trials of swine flu vaccine begin in Australia
3. GSK takes orders for 195m swine flu doses

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), the drug regulatory body for the EU, is accelerating the approval process for the vaccine, and countries including Britain, Greece, France and Sweden plan to start using it as soon as it is cleared. The most vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women and young children, will be given priority.

To ensure the vaccine is available as soon as possible, the EMA is allowing companies to bypass large-scale human trials. Amid concerns about bird flu several years ago, the EMA designed a protocol to fast-track the approval of a vaccine. It let companies submit data for a “mock-up” vaccine, using H5N1 avian flu. The idea was to do most of the testing before a pandemic, so that when it hit, the drug companies could insert the pandemic virus into the vaccine.

When the first doses are ready, the EMA will approve them largely based on data from the bird flu vaccine, since both will have the same basic ingredients. The agency will then require regular reporting of the vaccine’s effects as it is being administered, monitoring that is normally done beforehand.

The US government is taking a more cautious approach, calling for several thousand volunteers to be injected with the vaccine in tests beginning in August to assess its safety. Officials say the results should be ready in time for the vaccination programme to roll out in October.

But some US officials believe the European approach is the best option. “The consequences of not having a vaccine if this virus gets worse are very high,” said Leonard Marcus, a public health expert at Harvard University. “If [regulatory authorities] took all the time that was necessary to make sure there are no side effects, ironically, in the effort to save a few lives, many lives could be lost.”

An EMA spokesman said: “Everybody is doing the best they can in a situation which is far from ideal. With the winter flu season approaching, we need to make sure the vaccine is available.”

Dr Keiji Fukuda, the WHO’s flu chief, warned about the potential dangers of untested vaccines. “There are certain areas where you can make economies, perhaps, but certain areas where you simply do not try to make any economies,” he told Associated Press.

The Department of Health said it was “extremely irresponsible” to suggest the UK would use an unsafe vaccine. A spokesman said: “In preparing for a pandemic, appropriate trials to assess safety and the immune responses have been carried out on vaccines very similar to the swine flu vaccine. The vaccines have been shown to have a good safety profile. Over 40,000 doses of the vaccines which the swine flu vaccines are based on have been given without any safety concerns.”

Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, added: “I’m sure the vaccine programme won’t be allowed to commence until adequate safety checks have been carried out.”

Earlier this month the head of the WHO, Dr Margaret Chan, said that while a vaccine might be produced next month the clinical trial data to ensure it was safe would not be available for a further two to three months.

Pharmaceutical companies, including GlaxoSmithKline, which is producing the vaccine for Britain, insist they will be able to start shipping the first batches of vaccine before then.

Meanwhile the House of Lords science and technology committee is expected to accuse ministers of failing to keep their promise to set up a flu helpline by April and question the conflicting advice given to the public, in particular to vulnerable groups such as expectant mothers.

Related posts:

1. Swine flu vaccine ‘by September’
2. First human trials of swine flu vaccine begin in Australia
3. GSK takes orders for 195m swine flu doses

The figure for England is double the total of the previous week and comes as the Department of Health prepares to launch the National Flu Service.

The hotline and website service will give flu sufferers access to drugs without needing to consult a GP.

It has been designed to relieve the pressure on the health service.

Pregnant women, people with health conditions and the under-ones will still all be referred to GPs.

The Department of Health has accepted that the service could be abused by people giving the answers they believe will give them access to anti-flu drugs.

But Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson has said it is a price worth paying to help the NHS cope with its “biggest challenge in a generation”.

He told the BBC this week that the flu service might just be the first step in how the health service responds to a pandemic which has already claimed more than 700 lives across the world.

The death toll in the UK stands at 31, but that is likely to climb when the Department of Health in England releases its weekly update on Thursday.

The 100,000 figure for new cases is in line with what experts expected. Last week there were an estimated 55,000 new cases.

There are 840 patients currently in hospital, 63 of whom are in intensive care.

Under contingency plans, non-emergency operations can be cancelled, while doctors can be moved around the health service to help flu hotspots cope.

The flu service does have some security checks in place. Those who are diagnosed with swine flu are given a voucher number for a flu friend to collect their drugs from a collection point.

Each person has their own unique number so the service will know if an individual is trying to get more than one dose of an anti-viral drug.

The flu friend will also have to present ID for the patient when they collect the drug.

It will be staffed by 1,500 call handlers to start with, although there is already capacity for 2,000 people in the network of call centres.

Demand

The free-phone number will only be operational from 8am until midnight, but officials stressed that it will expand to meet the requirements of the pandemic.

Details of the website address and helpline number have yet to be released.

The launch of the service was announced last week after GPs and NHS Direct reported a dramatic rise in calls and consultations.

Every region of England is now seeing “exceptional” levels of activity with the exception of Yorkshire and the Humber.

And a poll of 1,500 NHS staff by the Health Service Journal and Nursing Times showed 14% did not think their organisation was coping successfully with the pressure.

The flu service is not covering the rest of the UK as Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have all experienced much less demand.

They will be able to plug into it if and when they need to, although experts have said Scotland appears to be over the worst of this phase.

Dr Richard Vautrey, of the British Medical Association, which has helped to design the checklist being used by the flu service, said: “What we have to remember is that this is a unique situation.

“Some GP practices are receiving hundreds of calls a day and we have to prioritise so we can see the most seriously ill.

“It has been designed by doctors to pick up problems that need to be seen by someone with a medical background.

“So as long as the call handlers get the correct training we can be confident in this service.”

Source BBC

Related posts:

1. National Pandemic Flu Service
2. UK swine flu deaths jump to 29

The company added that it was on track to meet orders from governments and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to provide the H1N1 vaccine, with shipments expected in the second half of 2009.

Sales growth in Glaxo’s consumer division rose by 9 per cent to £1.2 billion in the six months to the end of June, with sales of vaccines up by 14 per cent to £800 million.

Glaxo said that it has also tripled production of Relenza, another flu drug, to reach 190 million treatment courses by the end of 2009. It is in talks with 50 governments and has agreements in place with the US Government to supply pandemic products worth $250 million. The group also announced donations to the WHO for supplies of the vaccine and Relenza to use in developing countries.

In a statement to the market, Andrew Witty, the chief executive of GSK, said: “In these last three months, governments have rapidly strengthened their pandemics stockpile and prevention strategies, and whilst we are currently seeing a heightened period of demand, it is likely that we will see a sustained level of orders for pandemic products over the next few years.”

Despite the strong rise in sales of flu vaccines, group turnover dropped by 2 per cent to £6.7 billion due to generic competition in the US pharmaceuticals market. Its operations in emerging markets grew by 14 per cent, while the sales of other new vaccines to prevent gastroenteritis and cervical cancer also boosted half year results. Profits for the six months were flat at £3.7 billion. The dividend, payable on July 9, has risen to 14p from 13p in 2008.

Glaxo also said that it has developed a meningitis vaccine, Menhibrix, for children aged under 2 months that will be filed in the US in the second half of the year.

Related posts:

1. Swine flu vaccine ‘by September’
2. Fast-tracked swine flu vaccine will be safe, officials insist
3. First human trials of swine flu vaccine begin in Australia

Although there is much scientific proof on the effectiveness against influenza some studies of the elderberry herb (the main ingredient of Flu Defense) efficacy have specifically focused on H5N1 bird flu, one of the core components of the swine flu pandemic’s biology. Laboratory trials have confirmed that elderberry extract effectively defeats H5N1 avian flu with up to 99% efficacy. If it has nearly this rate of effectiveness in combating the similar strain of swine flu, Flu Defense may prevent fatalities during a swine flu pandemic.

How do I take it?
1 pill daily to prevent flu, with a 1 week break each 4 weeks, or 6 pills daily during acute symptoms (throughout the day). If acute symptoms last more than 4 days consult your doctor.

How does it work?

Flu Defense will neutralize the activity of the hemagglutinin spikes found on the surface of some types of viruses. When these hemagglutinin spikes are deactivated the viruses can no longer pierce cell walls or enter the cell and replicate. It will also stimulate various aspects of the immune system including macrophage and lymphocyte function.

Are there any side effects?

You should not experience any side effects if taken as directed. If you suffer any adverse side effect stop taking immediately.

Are there any precautions?

Generally the Flu Defense formula is well tolerated, however if you are on medication or suffer any health problems, consult with your doctor first.

What do the pills contain?

Elderberry extract
Echinacea extract
Vitamin C
Elderberry extract

This herbs compounds will bind with viruses neutralizing the activity of the hemagglutinin spikes before they can penetrate the walls of cells, thereby inhibiting their ability to spread. Also, another compound in elderberry, called anthocyanins, have an anti-inflammatory effect that will minimize aches, pains, and fever. While the flavonoids stimulate the immune system.

Echinacea extract

Well known as a broad-spectrum immune system stimulant Echinacea is most used to protect against, and to treat, common colds, flu, and sore throat. Its also a natural antibiotic, used to treat infections, to combat low resistance to sickness & to enhance the immune system. Echinacea has also used in the treatment of chronic recurring vaginal yeast infections. Echinacea purpurea, called ‘King of the blood purifiers’ in some herbal manuscripts, has been traditionally used to help acne, boils and difficult skin conditions.

Vitamin C

This is one of the most common substances to fight and support flu symptoms. Vitamin C has been proven to boost the bacteria-killing ability of certain immune cells called macrophages and neutrophils. Its also believed that vitamin C stimulates production of interferon, an important chemical in the immune system, and that it improves the thymus glands ability to make infection-fighting lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell.

Zinc Oxide

Zinc oxide is a chemical compound with the formula ZnO and contains 60% elemintal Zinc. Zinc is an important element that is required for a number of immune functions, including T-lymphocyte activity, antioxidant activity and putative antiviral activity.

Frequently Asked Questions?

How does it work?

Flu defence works on 2 mechanisms of action. The first being an incredible immune system booster, and the second a virus neutralizer. Flu defence will neutralize the activity of the hemagglutinin spikes found on the surface of some types of viruses. When these hemagglutinin spikes are deactivated the viruses can no longer pierce cell walls or enter the cell and replicate. Flu defence also minimizes any symptoms like body aches, cough, and fever and can be taken both as a preventer or as a treatment.

Whats the difference between Flu Defence and Tamiflu?

Tamiflu is a synthetic drug which interferes with viral reproduction, allowing less virus to reproduce in your system. While Flu defence is 100% natural and neutralizes the virus completely and increases your natural bodily defences against viruses.

How long does it take to arrive?

Orders are shipped within 24 hrs from New Zealand, and depending on the selected shipping method take 3 – 12 days to arrive. We ship world wide and do all we can to get you your product as quick as possible.

Do you guarantee your product?

Yes we do. We are so confident with the effectiveness of Flu defence we offer you 60 days to try this product, and in the unlikely event you get the Flu or feel this product isn’t working for you, you may return it for a full refund.

Customer Testimonials For Flu Defence

Fantastic! This is the first year where I haven’t had the flu. Thanks to Flu Defence
- Josh Stuart

Being in my mid 80s I needed something that was safe and effective. From all medications Ive tried in my life, Flu Defence is the only one that’s stood up to its claims. I would not hesitate to recommend this product to anyone.
- Winsor Blakely

I had a bad case of the Flu and I thought I was going to die! Incredibly the Flu Defence pills had me feeling better within 2 hrs of consumption and completely cured by the following day.
- Janice

Ive been taking Flu Defence to keep me safe from the recent pandemic of swine flu. Im an Air hostess so protecting myself against such virus is a necessary, since im at such risk. I must say I havnt even had a minor cold since being on this product
- Karren

Lasted all winter with 100% health. Im sure its due to Flu Defence. What a fantastic product!
- Jas

No related posts.

The death of the person, who had tested positive for the H1N1 virus, was being investigated, NHS Walsall said.

It is the third confirmed death connected to the virus in the West Midlands and the 31st in the UK.

It comes as UK chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson said the swine flu pandemic had presented the NHS with its “biggest challenge in a generation”.

No further details have been confirmed about the latest death and whether the victim had underlying medical conditions.

‘Unprecedented speed’

A post-mortem examination will be carried out to determine the cause of death, the NHS said.

A 15-year-old girl who did have underlying health issues was revealed as the 30th British victim linked to the outbreak on Tuesday after she died in the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that more than 700 people worldwide are now thought to have died after contracting the virus.

The previous reported figure was 429 worldwide deaths on 6 July.

The WHO said in a briefing note last week that “further spread of the pandemic, within affected countries and to new countries, is considered inevitable”.

It said the current pandemic had spread around the world with “unprecedented speed”.

In the UK, an estimated 55,000 people are being newly diagnosed with the virus each week.

No related posts.

The world’s first human trials of a swine flu vaccine have begun inAustralia, drug company officials said today, as the global death toll from the virus rose to 700.

Two biotechnology companies have started injecting adult volunteers in the southern city of Adelaide. CSL, a Melbourne company, has 240 people in its seven-month trial starting today. Vaxine, from Adelaide, began trials on Monday with 300 people.

At least 41 people have died in swine flu-related illness in Australia, now well into its winter flu season.

“We’re in the southern hemisphere, and that is where the problem is right now,” Vaxine’s research director, Nikolai Petrovsky, said. “The demand was here yesterday. We’re right in the middle of a surge of swine flu cases where perhaps the US won’t have to worry about it as much until their flu season hits, in six months.”

Australia had confirmed 14,703 cases of swine flu, while the number of deaths from the virus globally is more than 700, according to the World Health Organisation, which recently stopped counting the number of cases worldwide. A surge in cases is predicted in September and October, when students and workers in the northern hemisphere return from summer vacation.

The Australian government has already ordered 21m doses of CSL’s vaccine for use in Australia, should it be proved to work.

“We have a specific vaccine that we believe will be able to protect millions of people against this new H1N1 flu,” Andrew Cuthbertson, CSL’s director of research and development, told reporters. He called swine flu “a novel strain of influenza”, and said the trial would determine the dose and schedule of the vaccination.

Petrovsky said it would be six to eight weeks before results would verify whether a vaccine was effective.

“There is no guarantee any of these vaccines will work,” he said. “Swine flu is a very peculiar beast. It is a very different virus that we’re dealing with. But we are hopeful.”

Medical experts warned against rushing the vaccines through trials.

“I think it’s important for the public to know that they’re going to get a safe and effective vaccine,” Andrew Pesce, president of the Australian Medical Association, told Sky News television. “No one will give anybody brownie points for putting out a vaccine that didn’t work or caused harm.”

In Britain, the UK’s health protection agency (HPA) estimates there were 55,000 new cases of swine flu in England the week before last, including people visiting GPs and those who are looking after themselves at home.

The British pharmaceutical giant, GlaxoSmithKline, said in May it had agreed to supply nearly 130m doses of the swine flu vaccine to the UK, France, Belgium and Finland. It also said it would donate 50m doses to developing countries. The vaccine is expected to come before the end of the year.

Glaxo is one of several companies charged with producing a vaccine for H1N1 after the outbreak of the virus was declared a pandemic last month.

Related posts:

1. Swine flu vaccine ‘by September’
2. Fast-tracked swine flu vaccine will be safe, officials insist
3. GSK takes orders for 195m swine flu doses

This represents a jump of at least two-thirds from the last official death toll figure of 429, published by the WHO on July 6.

Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, has warned that swine flu will become the biggest flu pandemic ever seen.

However, most cases continue to produce only mild symptoms.

Q&A: Advice about swine flu

The overwhelming majority of patients usually recover, even without medical treatment, within a week of falling ill.

The WHO has said the pandemic is developing at such a high speed that it is now pointless to try to document every case.

In past pandemics, flu viruses have needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new H1N1 virus has spread in less than six weeks.

But officials have stressed that there is an ongoing need for all countries to monitor unusual events, such as clusters of severe or fatal cases, or unusual clinical patterns, closely.

WHO spokeswoman Aphaluck Bhatiasevi said officials were examining various measures countries could take to slow the spread of the disease.

She said school closures could be among the recommendations, but that it was up to each country to consider appropriate steps for their situations.

Experts predict that there will be a significant surge of new cases of swine flu in the northern hemisphere when the weather begins to cool in the autumn.

Related posts:

1. UK swine flu deaths jump to 29