February 18, 2016

expert reaction to reports of closure of three wards at Leicester Royal Infirmary following H1N1 flu infections in some cancer patients

Three wards at Leicester Royal Infirmary have been closed after a number of cancer patients were diagnosed with the H1N1 strain of influenza.

The SMC also produced a Factsheet on seasonal flu.

Dr John McCauley, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Influenza, The Francis Crick Institute, said:

“H1N1 influenza viruses have evolved from the pandemic virus of 2009 and this virus now circulates as a seasonal influenza virus. It is a component of both the live attenuated influenza vaccine and the trivalent and quadrivalent influenza vaccines that are inactivated virus components. Public Health England carries out research into the effectiveness of these vaccines each year and these studies are on-going.

“Today the WHO Regional Office for Europe has published a risk assessment of this season’s circulating influenza viruses.  It is located at http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/communicable-diseases/influenza/news/news/2016/02/risk-assessment-of-the-20152016-influenza-season-confirms-that-ah1n1-is-circulating-as-a-seasonal-virus-but-is-included-in-the-vaccine and

http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/301115/Risk-assessment-influenza-season-week40-15-to-week04-16.pdf?ua=1.”

Declared interests

Dr John McCauley: “I am the Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza at the Francis Crick Institute, Mill Hill Laboratory.”