Wednesday 14 07 10 21:00 UTC
THE US is holding off approval of this year's flu shot as it probes Australia's ban on the fever-inducing vaccine for young children. |
Monday 18 01 10 09:32 UTC
The rapid and widespread entry of the pandemic H1N1 infection that led to a large number of infected cases in Australia suggested a public health management failure in containing the pandemic when it broke out in April 2009. |
Thursday 24 12 09 05:34 UTC
Australia risks a serious swine flu (H1N1 influenza virus) outbreak with two-thirds (65 per cent) of unprotected Australians stating they're unlikely to get vaccinated against the disease in the next 12 months, according to an MBF Healthwatch Poll. |
Wednesday 25 11 09 09:34 UTC
A community-based program aimed at reducing the burden of skin disease across remote communities in Australia's Northern Territory has been successful according to a study published November 24 in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. |
Friday 06 11 09 18:03 UTC
Australia make seven changes for Saturday's Four Nations game against France in Paris. |
Friday 09 10 09 16:12 UTC
A comprehensive study has revealed, for the first time, the impact of swine flu on the health of the general public in Australia and New Zealand. |
Friday 25 09 09 17:28 UTC
Research aimed at developing drugs that stop malaria parasites from spreading throughout the body has seen Dr Jake Baum, from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, named a Young Tall Poppy by the Australian Institute of Policy and Science. |
Friday 18 09 09 06:53 UTC
AUSTRALIA is joining eight other countries that will donate 10 per cent of the swine flu vaccine stockpiles to other nations. |
Tuesday 15 09 09 12:04 UTC
If anyone wants to get an idea of what the next few months may be like in Britain, then Australia may give us some clues, having just come to the end of its first winter with swine flu (see yesterday's post).
I got an interesting perspective when I met Dr Dominic Dwyer, Professor of Virology at Westmead hospital in Sydney. Professor Dwyer divides his time between seeing patients, often in intensive care, and working in the virology lab.
I met him at the Department of Virology - Westmead has the main public health laboratory in New South Wales and works with the WHO on research and surveillance.
In common with the other doctors I met in Australia, Professor Dwyer had never experienced a winter flu season like this one:
"It's been absolutely massive for us here, we've been working essentially twenty hours a day trying to churn through all the samples to work out what's swine flu. I see the patients as well, and I must say I've never seen so much influenza activity."
 Professor Dwyer said that H1N1 swine flu was the dominant strain circulating, but that other seasonal strains were also around. He confirmed that the vast majority of people infected did not get very sick, and the majority of those who got complications had underlying health problems. But he said it was "unpredictable", in that a small minority of otherwise healthy individuals got very sick indeed.
"It's been absolutely striking how severe the infection has been in a small proportion of people. So in our intensive care unit here in western Sydney, we had about a third of the unit filled with people with swine flu, and they were often young, younger than you might expect.
Normal influenza tends to to affect the elderly, but this is a disease that affects younger people mostly - so its been really very dramatic."
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You can see more on all of this is in Panorama tomorrow evening, and in the video above (which is not in the TV programme), Professor Dwyer shows me round his labs.
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Monday 14 09 09 13:50 UTC
I want to begin with a confession. In recent weeks, my contribution to this blog has been somewhat patchy; for that, my apologies. It's felt a bit like when I look out of the window at my garden. I know there is work to be done, but it's finding the time - at least that's my excuse for an unkempt lawn.
 I've been working on an edition of Panorama about swine flu to be broadcast on Wednesday 16 September. Its rather ambitious title is: "Swine flu: Everything you need to know". I'll be interested to get your feedback. The other presenters are Sophie Raworth and Jeremy Vine.
For part of the film I went to Australia, which has been in the grip of the worst flu season for 40 years. It felt strange walking around Sydney with the temperature at 27C and knowing this was deep midwinter. No-one has quite been able to explain to me why flu should be so rampant in such hot temperatures. I'm told that in the tropics, where it's hot all year round, there is no flu season.
 How has Australia fared? The H1N1 virus did not bring society to a halt, and there were no food or power shortages: so far, so good. But there was increased absenteeism from work. And the health service has been extremely busy with hospital intensive care units under immense pressure.
I visited several hospitals in Sydney which had all had to cancel planned surgery at the peak of the winter, in order to cope with the influx of patients with severe respiratory problems. Last week, UK health officials confirmed that they were prepared to take similar measures, if and when needed.
The video below shows an excerpt from the programme plus some extra interview material with Professor Robert Booy from Westmead Children's Hospital in Sydney. He was incredibly helpful in suggesting where we filmed in Australia and has been quoted many times already in this blog.
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I got to meet some of his patients, including 18-month-old Emily, and her mother Louise. Emily has leukaemia and H1N1 swine flu. She was at increased risk of complications from the virus, but received prompt treatment with Tamiflu and is doing well.
You'll also hear from Professor Booy assessing the threat from swine flu and talking about the problems associated with obesity.
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Friday 11 09 09 18:23 UTC
The results of clinical trials have shown one dose of the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine is enough to offer adults protection against the virus, U.S. and Australian researchers said Thursday, the Associated Press reports (Neergaard, 9/11). |
Wednesday 26 08 09 08:10 UTC
Australian researchers will aim to discover the proteins that cause multiple sclerosis (MS), thanks to a new nationwide research effort. The new research project will receive funding of $1 million over four years, starting this year, under the Australian Research Council's Linkage Projects funding scheme and from MS Research Australia (MSRA), the research arm of MS Australia. |
Sunday 23 08 09 00:09 UTC
England have the ascendency and Australia could well lose the Ashes if they do not fight back on day three of the fifth Ashes Test at The Oval. Follow the action on our live blog. |
Tuesday 11 08 09 11:21 UTC
A WOMAN who died in her Adelaide home has tested positive for swine flu. |
Friday 07 08 09 10:04 UTC
Australia are 196-4 at close on day one of the fourth Test at Headingley, having dismissed England for 102. |
Wednesday 05 08 09 12:51 UTC
THE number of tourists coming to Australia has fallen dramatically in the past year. |
Friday 31 07 09 10:29 UTC
Bad light ends play with England 116-2 in reply to Australia's 263 on day two of the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston. |
Wednesday 29 07 09 05:02 UTC
The child vaccine is similar to the adult one and two types of dose strengths and amounts will be tested in order to determine the correct dosage and the safety of the vaccine - it will be tested on children aged between six months and eight years in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane. |
Tuesday 28 07 09 01:28 UTC
BBC News
![]() Australia offers swine flu test case
BBC News
Australia is currently living through what the northern hemisphere will soon have to confront: a winter with swine flu. ... |
Tuesday 28 07 09 01:24 UTC
As Australia experiences a winter with swine flu, it offers lessons for what the northern hemisphere will soon have to confront, says the BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney. |
Thursday 23 07 09 01:33 UTC
As Australian scientists embark on the first trials of a swine flu vaccine the World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that the H1N1 virus (swine flu) has now killed more than 700 people around the world since the outbreak began four months ago. |
Wednesday 22 07 09 09:06 UTC
SOUTH Australia has recorded its third swine flu associated death, with a woman who had underlying medical conditions dying from the disease last night. |
Wednesday 22 07 09 08:30 UTC
Straits Times
![]() Australia starts 1st swine flu vaccine trials
The Associated Press
ADELAIDE, Australia — The world's first human trials of a swine flu vaccine have begun in Australia, drug company officials said Wednesday, with the aim of ... |
Wednesday 22 07 09 07:23 UTC
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Wednesday 22 07 09 06:00 UTC
MiamiHerald.com
![]() Australia trials flu vaccine as world toll leaps
AFP
SYDNEY — Australia on Wednesday began human trials for a swine flu vaccine as concerns grew over the disease after the global death toll leapt suddenly past ... |
Friday 17 07 09 16:56 UTC
Australian flanker George Smith will join a select band of players to win 100 Test caps when they meet New Zealand in the Tri-Nations Series on Saturday. |
Wednesday 08 07 09 16:58 UTC
ABC News
![]() Swine flu swamps other viruses as five more die
The Australian
SWINE flu has recorded its deadliest day yet, with five more fatalities linked to the disease announced yesterday. The number of Australians who have died ... |
Sunday 05 07 09 12:15 UTC
3 News NZ
![]() Australia reports 11th swine flu-related death
AFP
MELBOURNE (AFP) — Australia reported its 11th death linked to swine flu on Sunday, as the number of cases in Asia-Pacific's worst-hit nation soared to 5298. ... |
Thursday 02 07 09 16:59 UTC
BBC News
![]() Swine flu is this year's dominant influenza
The Australian
SWINE flu has become Australia's dominant influenza strain, with experts predicting that as many as four out of five flu suffers will have the H1N1 virus. ... |
Thursday 02 07 09 15:56 UTC
![]() Australian athlete diagnosed with swine flu
The Associated Press
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbian health authorities have diagnosed an Australian athlete with swine flu at the World University Games. ... |
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