Drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis to donate 100 million pandemic flu vaccine doses for poor countries

TRENTON, N.J. — French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis plans to donate millions of doses of swine flu vaccine to the World Health Organization for use in poor countries, Chief Executive Christopher Viehbacher said Wednesday.

Drugmaker Sanof-Aventis to donate 100 million pandemic flu vaccine doses for poor countries

TRENTON, N.J. — The drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis says it will donate millions of doses of swine flu vaccine to the World Health Organization for poor countries.

Argentina confirms 3 more swine flu deaths, bringing total to 4

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Argentine health authorities on Tuesday confirmed three more swine flu deaths, bringing the nation’s total to four as it enters the South American winter flu season.

Legislation to provide $106 billion for wars, other causes, passes House

WASHINGTON — War-funding legislation survived a fierce partisan battle in the House on Tuesday, a major step in providing commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan the money they would need for military operations in the coming months.

In narrow vote, House approves $106B to maintain war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan

WASHINGTON — The House has narrowly approved a $106 billion bill to ensure financing for war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan over the coming months.

WHO chief: Flu pandemic will demonstrate tragic consequences of public health neglect

UNITED NATIONS — The swine flu pandemic will demonstrate “in extremely tragic ways” the consequences of the failure to promote public health and ensure basic care during pregnancy and childbirth in developing countries, the head of the World Health Organization warned.

Swine flu fatality in the UK; appears to be 1st reported outside the Americas

LONDON — A person with underlying health conditions died of swine flu in Scotland on Sunday — the first reported death from the illness outside the Americas, health officials said.

US swine flu cases near 18,000, found in all 50 states; pandemic waning except in Northeast

ATLANTA — Nearly 5,000 new U.S. swine flu cases have been reported in the last week, due partly to its continuing spread in the Northeast.

Drugmakers rush to make a swine flu vaccine, but politics may complicate who actually gets it

LONDON — With swine flu now an official pandemic, the race is on among drugmakers to produce a vaccine.

Swiss drugmaker Novartis says produces first batch of swine flu vaccine grown in cells

BASEL, Switzerland — Swiss pharmaceuticals company Novartis AG said Friday it has produced a first batch of experimental swine flu vaccine, a day after the World Health Organization declared the disease a pandemic.

WHO says swine flu pandemic has begun _ first global flu epidemic in 41 years

GENEVA — Swine flu is now formally a pandemic, a declaration by U.N. health officials that will speed vaccine production and spur government spending to combat the first global flu epidemic in 41 years.

CDC officials say swine flu pandemic declaration no cause for alarm

ATLANTA — U.S. health officials say they won’t need to change their response now that swine flu has been declared a pandemic.

A look at the world’s flu pandemics: 3 in the 20th century, 1 in the 21st century

Flu pandemics — epidemics on a global scale — have struck three times in the 20th century and once in the 21st century, varying widely in their severity. Here’s a look at the world’s flu pandemics.

The World Health Organization’s pandemic alert phases and what they mean

Under the World Health Organization’s alert system for epidemics, phase 6 is the highest level and means a pandemic — a global epidemic — is under way. Here’s a look at the phases.

WHO chief declares first global flu epidemic in 41 years as swine flu cases pile up worldwide

GENEVA — The World Health Organization says the spread of swine flu has created the first global flu epidemic in 41 years.

Summary Box: Declaring swine flu global epidemic changes little; described as “moderate”

LEVEL 6: World health authorities declared the new swine flu to be a pandemic — the first global epidemic since the Hong Kong flu of 1968. The pandemic alert status was raised to level 6, the highest possible.

WHO tells members a global outbreak of swine flu has begun _ 1st pandemic in 41 years

GENEVA — Swine flu is now formally a pandemic, a declaration by U.N. health officials that will speed vaccine production and spur government spending to combat the first global flu epidemic in 41 years. Thursday’s announcement by the World Health Organization doesn’t mean the virus is any more lethal — only that its spread is considered unstoppable.

World Health Organization likely to declare swine flu pandemic as cases spread worldwide

GENEVA — The World Health Organization held an emergency swine flu meeting Thursday and was likely to declare the first flu pandemic in 41 years as infections climbed in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere.

WHO likely to declare swine flu pandemic Thursday as cases spread worldwide

GENEVA — The World Health Organization held an emergency swine flu meeting Thursday and was likely to declare the first flu pandemic in 41 years as infections climbed in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere.

WHO gets ready to declare a swine flu pandemic after quizzing countries about their outbreaks

GENEVA — The World Health Organization is gearing up to declare a swine flu pandemic, a move that could trigger both the large-scale production of vaccines and questions about why the step was delayed for weeks as the virus continued to spread.

WHO chief calls key govts to discuss sharp rise in swine flu cases, possible pandemic

GENEVA — The head of the World Health Organization quizzed health officials from several nations in a conference call Wednesday, asking about a recent spike in swine flu cases that may show the world is already in a global epidemic.

WHO says swine flu pandemic ‘very close,’ expresses concerns about Australia and Canada

GENEVA — The World Health Organization said Tuesday a spike in swine flu cases in Australia may push it to finally announce the first flu pandemic in 41 years. It also expressed concern about an unusual rise in severe illness from the disease in Canada.

WHO concern at rise in Australia, Canada swine flu cases; says pandemic “very close”

GENEVA — The World Health Organization said Tuesday a spike in swine flu cases in Australia may push it to finally announce the first flu pandemic in 41 years. It also expressed concern about an unusual rise in severe illness from the disease in Canada.

WHO chief Margaret Chan says “on the surface of it” world is seeing swine flu pandemic

GENEVA — The head of the World Health Organization says the swine flu outbreak appears to have reached pandemic proportions.

Don’t reach out and touch anyone: Japan to see if phones can help limit pandemics

TOKYO — A few months from now, a highly contagious disease will spread through a Japanese elementary school. The epidemic will start with several unwitting children, who will infect others as they attend classes and wander the halls.