Faculty Bibliography

The effectiveness of the vaccine will be a critical factor in determining the severity of the flu season. This year's vaccine does not include the Fujian strain that has caused the overwhelming majority of cases in the United States and Europe. LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN

With influenza cases surging in at least 10 states, vaccine makers said yesterday that they had shipped out their entire supplies, and health officials said they were trying to determine whether there was enough vaccine left to immunize people who still want flu shots. More vaccine cannot be made in time for this year's flu season. The nation's two vaccine makers, Aventis Pasteur and Chiron, said they had shipped out all the vaccine they had made, a total of about 80 million doses. That is in sharp contrast to last year, when 10 million doses were left over and thrown away, said Dr. Michael Decker, vice president for scientific and medical affairs of Aventis Pasteur. Because flu strains vary from year to year, a new vaccine must be formulated each year. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert and chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University, said that this year's strain of the virus was especially likely to cause serious disease. The predominant strain is known as Fujian, and it was not included in this year's vaccine. Officials have said the vaccine should still provide at least partial protection, but that is not known for sure

The World Health Organization has called on developing countries to train and organize 100,000 health care and nonprofessional workers to carry out its plan to begin delivering anti-retroviral drugs to three million AIDS patients by the end of 2005. The World Health Organization plans to hold a meeting at its Geneva headquarters in a few weeks to help countries deal with such questions. The agency's plan calls on the 34 countries with the highest infection rates to rapidly train workers to accelerate the integration of AIDS treatment into their health care programs. Many countries, medical schools, private groups and other organizations have started AIDS programs in heavily infected countries. The number of programs has reached the point where better coordination is needed to avoid duplication of research, training and treatment efforts, Dr. Peter Piot, director of the UN AIDS program, said in a recent interview

The World Health Organization has called on developing countries to train and organize 100,000 health care and nonprofessional workers to carry out its plan to begin delivering antiretroviral drugs to three million AIDS patients by the end of 2005. The organization made its announcement at a time when former President Bill Clinton had helped broker an agreement to lower the price of antiretroviral drugs to more affordable levels for poor countries and when countries like India and South Africa had said they would expand their programs to treat AIDS. The World Health Organization plans to hold a meeting at its Geneva headquarters in a few weeks to help countries deal with such questions. The agency's plan calls on the 34 countries with the highest infection rates to rapidly train workers to accelerate the integration of AIDS treatment into their health care programs

The U.N. agency said 6 million of the 40 million people infected with the AIDS virus are in immediate need of anti-retroviral treatment but that only about 480,000 are receiving it

The organization's plan challenges the 34 countries with the highest infection rates to rapidly train workers to accelerate the integration of AIDS treatment in their health care programs. Many countries with the largest numbers of people living with H.I.V./AIDS have very few doctors or other trained health workers, the organization said. Many have died from untreated AIDS, while others have moved to wealthier countries. Many countries, medical schools, private groups and other organizations have started AIDS programs in heavily infected countries. The numbers of programs have reached the point where better coordination is needed to avoid duplication of research, training and treatment efforts, Dr. Peter Piot, the director of the United Nations AIDS program, said in a recent interview. The W.H.O.'s recommended drug combinations for simplified AIDS treatment are: Stavudine (d4t), lamivudine (3TC) and nelfinavir; AZT, lamivudine and nelfinavir; Stavudine, lamivudine and efavirenz; and AZT, lamivudine and efavirenz

Releasing the agency's annual report before World AIDS Day on Monday, [Peter Piot] acknowledged that greater financing and stronger political commitments had given the battle against AIDS more momentum. But he singled out nations that were way behind in tackling AIDS. Chiding Russia for not making the political commitment other countries have made for AIDS, Piot said it allocated only a few million dollars for AIDS and was still dealing with it at the level of a deputy minister of health. Piot said he welcomed the South African government's plan, announced last week, to provide antiretroviral drugs to AIDS patients, as well as an earlier announcement by former President Bill Clinton that he had brokered an agreement under which drug companies agreed to lower the price of AIDS drugs for many countries. The World Health Organization plans to deliver antiretroviral drugs to three million people by 2005

The epidemic shows no sign of abating, said the director, Dr. Peter Piot, adding, ''Measured against the scale of the global epidemic, the current pace and scope of the world's response to AIDS fall far short of what is required.'' He chided nations that were way behind in tackling AIDS -- though not, in every case, by name. ''Many countries do not take AIDS seriously, and that is particularly the case of Russia, all the countries of the former Soviet Union, and several Asian countries,'' Dr. Piot said in a teleconference. Dr. Piot said he welcomed the South African government's new plan to provide antiretroviral drugs to patients, as well as an earlier announcement by former President Bill Clinton that he had brokered an agreement with drug companies to lower the price of AIDS drugs for many countries. The World Health Organization plans to deliver antiretroviral drugs to three million people by 2005

In releasing the agency's annual report in advance of World AIDS Day on Monday, [Peter Piot] acknowledged that greater funding and stronger political commitments had moved the battle against AIDS into higher gear. But he singled out nations that were way behind in tackling AIDS. 'Many countries do not take AIDS seriously, and that is particularly the case of Russia, all the countries of the former Soviet Union, and several Asian countries,' Piot said in a telephone news conference. An estimated 1 million Russians are infected, and 'the epidemic is growing at a fearsome rate,' the report said. Chiding Russia for not making the political commitment other countries have made for AIDS, Piot said Russia allocates 'only a few million dollars for AIDS and still deals with it at the level of a deputy minister of health.' Piot said he welcomed the South African government's plan last week to provide anti-retroviral drugs to AIDS patients as well as an earlier announcement by former President Bill Clinton that he had brokered an agreement with drug companies to lower the price of AIDS drugs for many countries. The World Health Organization plans to deliver anti-retroviral drugs to 3 million people by 2005

While the pace of the battle against AIDS is picking up, efforts to stem the epidemic are 'entirely inadequate' for the health emergency that is 'continuing to spiral out of control,' the director of the U.N. AIDS program said Tuesday. He singled out nations that were way behind in tackling AIDS. 'Many countries do not take AIDS seriously, and that is particularly the case of Russia, all the countries of the former Soviet Union, and several Asian countries,' [Peter Piot] said in a teleconference