Anatomy of a Pandemic from PBS

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http://www.pbs.org/newshour/pandemic/

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/

This is a well done documentary covering some of the problems regarding the

current pandemic such as the vaccine controversy, the possibility of viral

mutations, how what has happened in the past still influences the present, etc.

It covers a lot of ground, and introduces the viewer to some though not all of

the economic, political, and personal issues involved in the global infectious

disease outbreak. Many difficult decisions have been made. When it is all over,

we will have learned much from this historic event that will be enormously helpful

in preparing the world for the inevitable occurrence of the next pandemic which

will definitely be coming some time in the future.

Though there seem to be fewer cases in the Americas at present, the disease is

now making its way through eastern Europe and Asia. Many, many people have

not been vaccinated or naturally immunized by the disease which means that

there is still a hugh pool of susceptible hosts to cause further illness as we move

into the northern hemisphere's winter flu season. What will happen next remains

to be seen.

What is known about the current H1N1 influenza outbreak? How is the government preparing for the next big threat? Join the PBS NewsHour’s Ray Suarez for an exploration of the science and policy of this year’s swine flu pandemic, from federal vaccination headquarters to big city hospital emergency rooms.

(hat tip Avian Flu Diary)

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PBS: Shuchat and Osterholm take questions

http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2009/12/pbs-schuchat-osterholm-take-questions.html

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/insider/health/july-dec09/pandemic_12-15.html

As part of the debut of the PBS Newshour documentary Anatomy of a Pandemic - Rear Admiral Ann Schuchat M.D., Director of the CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) and Michael T. Osterholm, Director of CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota - answer a number of viewer questions regarding the documentary and the pandemic virus.

Bios From the PBS website:

Rear Admiral Anne Schuchat is the director of Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and has worked at CDC since 1988 on immunization and infectious diseases. Prior to her current appointment, she served as the director of CDC's National Immunization Program (NIP); acting director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID); chief of the Respiratory Diseases Branch at NCID.

Mike Osterholm, PhD, MPH, is director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), director of the NIH-supported Minnesota Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (MCEIRS) within CIDRAP, a professor in the Division of Environmental Health Sciences, and an adjunct professor in the Medical School, University of Minnesota.

DR. ANN SCHUCHAT: There has been recognition of a mutation that was found in Norway by some scientists and in Ukraine. And that mutation has been found in several other countries, including the U.S. But, so far, the additional studies we have done are reassuring that this isn't that long-awaited terrible mutation.

MIKE OSTERHOLM: One of the other areas that we're also looking at very carefully is the development of antiviral drug resistance which in itself is a mutation that would be of concern. And to date, while there have been clusters - and small ones, at that - of antiviral resistant strains, most of these emerging in hospital settings, among immune-compromised patients - and there have been some isolates from persons in the community where resistances has developed, we have not seen that be a serious public health problem.

This is one we're monitoring very closely because we believe today that antiviral drugs can play a very important role in reducing severe illness and preventing death. But if we were to lose that ability because of resistance, this would be a significant problem. The good news is, to date, we're still in pretty good shape.