Number of Swine Flu New Cases Last Week Doubles

Global health officials are scrambling to try to prevent the spread of the H1N1 swine flu virus, with U.S. officials moving Thursday with a recommendation that the Food and Drug Administration approve or license a vaccine. In the U.K., the government launched a telephone hotline and Internet site as the number of new cases last week doubled to an estimated 100,000. The number of deaths attributed to the disease had held steady at 26 in England, not including cases diagnosed in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Wall Street Journal reports.

"Time is really not on our side," FDA official Wellington Sun, MD, said.

Company officials told the FDA panel Thursday that they would probably be able to produce enough vaccine to protect 50 million people by mid-October. That's an uncertain estimate, the companies said.

Up to 100 million doses could be produced by that time, but it's unclear whether it will take one dose or two to generate immunity against H1N1 in most patients.

"Time is really not on our side," FDA official Wellington Sun, MD, said.

Company officials told the FDA panel Thursday that they would probably be able to produce enough vaccine to protect 50 million people by mid-October. That's an uncertain estimate, the companies said.

Up to 100 million doses could be produced by that time, but it's unclear whether it will take one dose or two to generate immunity against H1N1 in most patients , WebMD reports.

Meanwhile,in the past week 100,000 suspected new cases of the flu have been reported in Britain, the government said, nearly double the 55,000 suspected new cases in the previous week.

Other European countries should prepare for a similar, or even larger, surge in the number of cases in the coming months, said Professor Angus Nicholl of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in Stockholm , Reuters reports.