Health official says flu quarantine checks at airports just for show

Friday 29th May, 09:27 AM JST

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EUgirl at 06:42 PM JST - 29th May

Disillusioned: The making of the vaccine has not started yet, and once it starts, it will take 4-6 months. Don't believe all the crap evening papers write.

It would be interesting to know what exactly she writes in her book - after all, she works at the quarantine, so she might know a thing or two.

LFRAgain: Handwashing yes. I am appalled that Japanese women do not wash their hands. Have paid attention to it lately, as I wash my hands properly, but 90% of Japanese women just wave their fingertips under the tap about for 1 second and that's it. Just saw one women do it yesterday in the Tipness Fitness ladies room, when she came from the loo box, before our ballet class. I dare not think what kind of viruses cover the ballet barre bar. Sure washed my hands diligently after the ballet class as well... There is no way to stop the spread next fall, if people do not wash their hands and keep of sneezing in trains on each other. Why don't anybody use that free tissue paper that is handed at stations?
EUgirl at 06:59 PM JST - 29th May

spudman: It did get NHK coverage. I happened to work home when that parliament thing was going on live, and I saw the women ask that question, and some surprised reactions. I did not understand all of it, but enough to understand that she was criticizing what has been done so far.
GW at 07:54 PM JST - 29th May

EUgirl

And in the guys loo they also often dont even do the finger tips & in izakaya its scary how many I see rush back to their beer without washing.

Guess thats why Japanese bow instead of shaking hands!
presto345 at 08:19 PM JST - 29th May

And in the guys loo they also often dont even do the finger tips & in izakaya its scary how many I see rush back to their beer without washing. Guess that's why Japanese bow instead of shaking hands!

Let me tell you I'd like to go for the bow thing myself when in Europe where loads of people don't wash their hands after you-know-what.

To prevent the spread of the flu here in Japan at least the networks are advising people to WASH HANDS.

When I returned to Japan from Europe arriving at Kansai Airport on May 8 there were no gowns, but all passengers had to file a document. Didn't take long. No problem.

Interesting for Kimura to make allegations, but she did not say (at least not in this article) what should have been done.
Betting at 08:28 PM JST - 29th May

"... The making of the vaccine has not started yet, and once it starts, it will take 4-6 months".

I think you should start reading some newspapers, apparently it is (hopefully) as few as 8 weeks away.
Disillusioned at 08:39 PM JST - 29th May
EUgirl - The making of the vaccine has not started yet, and once it starts, it will take 4-6 months. Don't believe all the crap evening papers write.

You poor misinformed individual. ** Swine flu vaccine eight weeks away: pharmaceutical company**
```
* May 29, 2009 - 3:01PM
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Pharmaceutical company CSL Ltd says it should have a swine flu vaccine ready for manufacture within eight weeks.

Batches of vaccine should start rolling out of CSL's Melbourne drug production facilities from late July, CSL Biotherapies general manager Mary Sontrop said.

The announcement comes after the US government placed a $US180 million ($232 million) order for a CSL-made swine flu vaccine, and the federal government said it would obtain enough doses to provide cover for ten million Australians.

"CSL's partnership with the Australian and US governments to address the serious threat to public health that the A(H1N1) virus represents, is confirmation that we are a leader in the global influenza vaccines market," Ms Sonstrop said in a statement on Friday.

"In doing so, CSL will be applying more than 40 years of experience in developing and manufacturing influenza vaccines.

"We are confident of being able to satisfy the needs of Australia and other countries in a timely way."

Ms Sonstrop said CSL's scientists were now preparing a "candidate vaccine" which would be put through clinical trials to determine its optimal formulation and dosage.

The first batches of a matched swine flu vaccine were "expected to be manufactured by late July/early August", the statement said.

Once the vaccine was produced, it was up to the federal government to determine how it would be rolled out, Ms Sonstrop said.

"CSL has made a considerable investment in manufacturing facilities over the past few years and we now have one of the largest and most modern manufacturing facilities in the world," she said.

AAP
EUgirl at 09:27 PM JST - 29th May

"CSL Ltd says it should have a swine flu vaccine ready for manufacture within eight weeks." Exactly: in 8 weeks they will be ready to start making it. After that it will still take months, until the first vaccines are in hospitals and pharmacies.

Making vaccines is not like making sausages. You have to culture virus samples, come up with growing tainted virus samples, test them, whatever, for a long time.
EUgirl at 09:31 PM JST - 29th May

http://www.ajc.com/health/content/shared-auto/healthnews/cdc-/627497.html

October, says CDC. If they start making it - even that has not been decided.

New Scientist says the vaccine will not be ready for the first big wave in the autumn.
Disillusioned at 09:58 PM JST - 29th May

Batches of vaccine should start rolling out of CSL's Melbourne drug production facilities from late July

Arguing on the internet is like running in the special Olympics. Even if you win you ares till retarded. :D
1keiron at 10:00 PM JST - 29th May

How long is it expected that Japan will put up with this circus act? In all seriousness.
memyselfI at 10:07 PM JST - 29th May

Just for show Everything in Japan is just for show
EUgirl at 10:25 PM JST - 29th May

"Even if you win you ares till retarded." Sorry, I don't understand, but then, I am not a native English speaker.

But now I got it: The U.S. CDC says earliest in October, as there is no vaccination manufacturing in the U.S. - they will actually buy their vaccine from Europe. Australia probably hurried, as winter season starts now, and the southern hemisphere will soon get the first serious wave of swine flu, the northern earliest in October.
Foxie at 11:19 PM JST - 29th May

Every single day 100,000 people die from hunger. This flu circus is completely ridiculous.
shanabelle at 11:26 PM JST - 29th May

Sorry but I am Australian, and by all reports in the Australian media: they are out-drama-queening this flu by far (especially in Victoria), to the extent that Japan's response looked utterly cool! Not everything here is done just for show. I think the airport checks did a good job in holding back potential floodgates, particulary as it was the peak holiday season of GW when this really blew up. I didn't see any circus act either. The authorities responded accordingly with the progress of the virus (and the information they had at hand at the time), and lowered the response in accordance with the lowered threat level over time. Remember, initially this strain of flu was an un-known threat....thankfully the worst case scenario did not happen this time. But imagine the out-cry if it had, and the health authorities had been less than vigilant!
usaexpat at 12:21 AM JST - 30th May

Hmmm now where have I heard this before? Oh that's right I posted something similar when this whole panic started. Whatever it's here now and it's not the deadly event people worried about so wait for it to pass. If you get it I hope you feel better soon the flu is always unpleasant.