Swine flu death confirmed in TX as vax experts plan response

The World Health Organization has called an emergency session today to evaluate the spread of swine flu so the organization can get a better idea of just how serious a threat this is to the world's population.

You can expect plenty of renewed media attention to the outbreak following the confirmation this morning that a 23-month-old infant in Texas was killed by swine flu. Researchers have been puzzled by the fact that up to now almost all of the swine flu cases in the U.S. have been extraordinarily mild. In Mexico, meanwhile, the likely death toll rose to 159.

Flu expert Dr. Nikki Shindo says that hundreds of thousands of Mexicans may be infected with swine flu at this point, but may be exhibiting no symptoms or only mild signs of the flu.

Bruce Gellin, the country's top vaccine official, tells NPR that the plan now is to develop and manufacture enough swine flu vaccine for every American by September. Normally, it takes about six months to develop a new vaccine. The key decision point comes in early June, when manufacturers would be told whether to switch to a new vaccine to fight a global pandemic.

As production is ramped up, health officials would likely get the first jab.

Vanderbilt's Dr. William Schaffner says that there is also talk of creating a new all-purpose vaccine that would guard against seasonal influenza as well as the new A/H1N1 version that's caused so much alarm.

- read the report from Reuters

ALSO: Some federal authorities tell the New York Times that it would take until late November or January to make enough vaccine--that's 600 million doses--to guard the entire population of the U.S. Vaccines report