By: Rosemary Stephen PMed, (cert) EOH, IPM, Elements: Environmental Health Intelligence
Accusations are flying around about the World Health Organization (WHO). This international health agency is accused of having been influenced by pharmaceutical companies to force the purchase of vaccines for the global fight against H1N1 [1]. One accusation even goes as far as charging that the WHO “faked” the H1N1 pandemic in order to boost vaccine sales [2]. The relatively low number of deaths and the relatively high financial burden from the purchase of vaccines is fueling public debate.
Regardless of who, or what, influenced the WHO to recommend global vaccination, I see a definite global health benefit. Looking back at the events that fueled our newspaper, television and radio broadcasts less than a year ago, I am really pleased with what H1N1 made us do. Let me explain — at the onset of the pandemic newspaper articles stated that the hog industry was possibly responsible for the virus [3]. As more data became available, we learned that H1N1 was not a swine virus but of a combination of avian, human and swine viruses [4]. Researchers saw that this novel flu had the ability to spread quickly from human to human when in close physical contact [5]. The WHO issued pandemic preparedness and response recommendations to all Governments, which eventually trickled down to ministries of health [6]. Public Health agencies were then given the job of launching public awareness campaigns to explain what this new disease was and how best to protect oneself against it. The awareness campaign continued, becoming more meaningful as the first H1N1 deaths were reported [7]. Public health agencies reinforced that sound personal hygiene practices such as hand washing, avoiding hugging and kissing, covering the mouth when sneezing, maintaining a distance of 1m between people, staying home when sick or taking care of sick people and being vaccinated were the bests way to mitigate the effects of this new virus [8]. When the debate over wearing masks in public places became known, health agencies published recommendations in public media regarding the proper way to wear face masks [9]. Even the non-medical work force became involved; companies initiated their own in-house pandemic action plans to help manage sickness and employee absenteeism [10]. Religious events were postponed or changed to prevent crowding [11]. Countries took it upon themselves to reinforce vaccination requirements and encourage pilgrims to get vaccinated and to maintained an acceptable distances between themselves and sick people [12].
When looking back at the WHO’s decisions, regardless if the vaccination push was influenced by pharmaceutical companies or not, we should look at the positive global impact. I am not the only one who thinks this way – a similar opinion is expressed in the article “Swine Flu’s ‘WHO’ dunit” by the Hindu Group of Publications [13]. This article also presents the positive impact of the pandemic scare. The article states that the flu “has exposed the poor preparedness of Government infrastructure to tackle a public health care emergency, as it fell short of medicine supplies, testing kits and yet-to-be-developed vaccines” and stresses that “The concerted global effort to tackle what was expected to be a killer disease would have, in fact, become an example of how nations rose to the occasion to prevent a human catastrophe” [14]. It did not matter what continent people were from, what languages they spoke or what religious beliefs they held, what was important was that we were all trying to reach the same goal — the prevention of unnecessary deaths. People in general became more conscious about how to improve their personal hygiene and what they could do to help prevent the spread of the virus to susceptible persons. I think this pandemic brought out the best in all of us. And who knows, when the next pandemic event occurs, and it will occur, this ‘dry run’ may be vitally important as the world has learned where their preparatory strengths and weaknesses lie. I am now confidant that we will we be ready to respond to the next crisis.
Rosemary Stephen PMed, (cert) EOH, IPM (2010). The WHO and H1N1; Allegations of Influence ! Elements: Environmental Health Intelligence
References:
[[1] Kyriakou, N. Swine Flu Didn’t Fly (2010) The Huffington Post. (On-line) Available: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/niko-kyriakou/swine-flu-didnt-fly_b_438783.html. Cited 2010 Feb 01.
[2] Ibid. Cited 2010 Feb 01.
[3] The origine of the swine flu (2009) Science, The Environment (On-line) Available: http://www.sindark.com/2009/04/27/the-origin-of-swine-flu/. Cited 2010 Feb 01.
[4] Philpott, T. Swine-flu outbreak could be linked to Smithfield factory farms (2009) Grist. (On-line) Available: http://www.grist.org/article/2009-04-25-swine-flu-smithfield/. Cited 2010 Feb 01.
[5] Hampshire, Nick. Swine Flu (H1N1) Symptoms and How it Spreads (2009) Enzine @rticles. (On-line) Available: http://ezinearticles.com/?Swine-Flu-%28H1N1%29-Symptoms-and-How-it-Spreads&id=2368684. Cited 2010 Feb 01.
[6] Pandemic preparedness and response (2009) World Health Organisation. (On-line) Available: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/guidance/pandemic_preparedness/en/index.html. Cited 2010 Feb 01.
[7] Bishop, J. M.D. And al. Australia’s Winter with the 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus (2009) The New England Journalof Medicine. (On-line) Available: http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/NEJMp0910445. Cited 2020 Feb 01.
[8] Stephen, R. Pilgrims and H1N1(2009) Elements: Environmental Health Intelligence. (On-line) Available: http://www.elementshealthspace.com/index.php/elements/pilgrims-and-h1n1/. Cited 2010 Feb 01.
[9] Element Article published June 04 2009 Face Mask and Environmental control: are they really effective for H1N1? (On-line) Available: http://www.elementshealthspace.com/index.php/elements/2009/06/. Cited 2020 Feb 01.
[10] Dobson, S. Employers prepare for the worst (2009) Canadian HRReporter, Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. (On-line) Available: http://www.hrreporter.com/ArticleView.aspx?l=1&articleid=6854. Cited 2009 May 04.
[11] Stephen, R. Pilgrims and H1N1(2009) Elements: Environmental Health Intelligence. (On-line) Available: http://www.elementshealthspace.com/index.php/elements/pilgrims-and-h1n1/. Cited 2010 Feb 01.
[12] Ibid. Cited 2010 Feb 01.
[13] Swine flu’s ‘WHO’ dunit, Opinion – Health., Monday, February 01, 2010. Business Line, Business Daily from THE HINDU group of publications (On-line). Available: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/02/01/stories/2010020150300800.htm?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=india. Cited 2010 Feb 01.
[14] Ibid. Cited 2010 Feb 01.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I agree that, while some fears may have been played up to an inappropriate degree, overall the story of H1N1 vaccination is a positive one.
It makes me more confident that when there is a highly infectious and deadly strain of flu out there, many governments will be able to respond in a fairly timely and effective way.