WHO Director General officially declares swine flu pandemic
- 00:01:47
- ITN
WHO Director General officially declares swine flu pandemic
Swine flu has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. The move by WHO means the world is in the grip of a flu outbreak on a scale not seen for over 40 years. It does not mean the virus has become more deadly, but that its geographical spread is now truly global. Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, who worked on the UK's pandemic flu plans, said: "This is a historic time because we have not had a flu pandemic in more than 40 years. "I believe we have been at this point for a couple of weeks or so, so this declaration doesn't come as a surprise. "For the UK it doesn't mean any real change to what we've been doing in the last few weeks." The last global pandemic was declared in 1968 over an outbreak of Hong Kong flu which killed about one million people. WHO said the H1N1 swine flu virus has infected 27,737 people in 74 countries and caused 141 deaths. Most of the cases have been in North America, but Europe and Australia have seen a sharp increase in recent days. The upgrade could prompt countries to take extra measures against the disease, such as imposing travel bans and producing more vaccines. Another 32 cases have been confirmed in Scotland, and one in Northern Ireland, bringing the UK total to 822. The Health Protection Agency said an additional 607 cases are under investigation. A total of 20 schools have closed since the first case of swine flu was confirmed in the UK, and 15 have since reopened. It emerged on Wednesday that a 14-year-old boy was diagnosed with the virus at Malvern College, Worcestershire. The co-educational boarding school has not been closed.
ITN | June 11, 2009
