* Obama says U.S. making “steady progress” on vaccine
* U.S., local governments get ready for next wave of flu
* Study suggests swine flu unlikely to become “superbug”
By Julie Steenhuysen
CHICAGO, Sept 1 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama urged Americans on Tuesday to get the H1N1 shot when it becomes available as the nation prepares for a second wave of swine flu as autumn approaches in the the Northern Hemisphere.
After a meeting with health and homeland security advisers, President Barack Obama said the United States is “making steady process on developing a safe and effective H1N1 flu vaccine and we expect a flu shot program will begin soon.”
“This program will be completely voluntary but it will be strongly recommended,” he said.
Canadian Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq made similar comments, saying the nation of 34 million people was well-positioned for another wave of the H1N1 pandemic this fall. [ID:nN0137807]
And while a new study in ferrets suggested the virus spreads more quickly and causes more severe disease than seasonal flu, the good news is that it does not appear likely to mutate into a “superbug” as some researchers had feared.
A University of Maryland team studied animals infected with both seasonal and pandemic flu and found no evidence the strains were mixing to form a new, so-called reassortant virus.
“The results suggest that 2009 H1N1 influenza may outcompete seasonal flu virus strains and may be more communicable as well,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.
Fauci said the study underscored the need for getting vaccinated against swine flu. [ID:nN01489207]
Safety tests are being done on the H1N1 vaccine and it is expected to be made available in the second half of October, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those trials will determine whether one or two doses will be needed to provide immunity.