I guess this will influence the Bird Flu and other biotech stocks. They need to address this asap because of the Olympics http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/13/2188078.htm Hong Kong closes schools to stop flu spread Posted 5 hours 51 minutes ago The Hong Kong Government has closed all kindergartens and primary schools for two weeks in an effort to curb a flu outbreak. Twenty-three schools have reported an increase in infections and a seven-year-old boy died this week after being admitted to hospital with flu-like symptoms. The Health Secretary says the move is a precautionary step and scientists will continue to investigate the outbreak. - AFP
http://www.axilltv.com/bkpost-2.php?newsid=313253 Hong Kong closes all kindergartens, primary schools amid flu outbreak Hong Kong's government on Wednesday ordered all kindergartens and primary schools to close for two weeks amid a growing flu outbreak. It also asked one of its top scientists to study the deaths of three children over the past week. Health secretary York Chow said Yuen Kwok-yung, who helped study Hong Kong's outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak, or SARS, about four years ago, will head a panel of scientists studying the recent deaths. Chow said it was not clear if the three cases were linked but that he became concerned after the most recent death _ that of a 7-year-old boy on Tuesday _ because five of his classmates had also been hospitalized. Chow also announced at a late-night news conference that all kindergartens, primary schools and special education schools will begin the Easter holiday early to prevent the spread of influenza in classrooms. The closure affects nearly 560,000 students at 1,745 schools, according to enrollment figures from the 2006-2007 academic year. Classes will resume March 28, Chow said. Chow said a growing number of people have been suffering from flu and that bringing the Easter break forward would help reduce infections and calm public fears. "We estimate this peak season of influenza will continue for a few weeks," Chow said. The cause of the 7-year-old boy's death has not been determined. Officials said some of his classmates were believed to be suffering from flu, and the government closed the school earlier this week. The five hospitalized classmates were in stable condition, Chow said. No cause has been determined either in the two other deaths _ of girls aged 2 and 3 _ officials said. The deaths came amid a series of flu outbreaks in Hong Kong over the past several days. Health officials have confirmed a total of six outbreaks at schools, a hospital and a nursing home for the elderly since March 6. The flu outbreaks also have led to crowding at some hospitals, while the number of patients seeking walk-in treatment at emergency rooms has risen 16 percent from the same period last month, Hospital Authority Chief Executive Shane Solomon told reporters. None of the cases has been linked to bird flu, which was recently detected in birds in Hong Kong. Bird flu remains difficult for humans to catch, but scientists fear the virus that causes it could mutate into a form that spreads easily among humans and trigger a pandemic that some say could kill millions. SARS infected 1,755 people in Hong Kong and killed 299.
don't forget SVA....Been holding this thing as a hedge to an Asia pandemic since 2006....Just my 2 cents $COSTAverageMAN Sinovac Biotech, Ltd., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the research, development, manufacture, and commercialization of vaccines for human infectious diseases in the People's Republic of China. Its products include Healive, a vaccine for hepatitis A; Bilive, a combined hepatitis A and B vaccine; and Anflu, a split flu vaccine. The company also develops vaccines for the SARS virus, the H5N1 strain of pandemic influenza virus, and the Japanese encephalitis virus. Sinovac Biotech markets and sells its vaccine products primarily through various provincial and municipal centers for disease control and prevention. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.
http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&postid=1830354#post1830354 Up 5% on VPHM. If we get anymore news over the weekend should continue to pop next week.
I agree.......IMO SVA is a good trading stock under $4. NVAX and SVA are my two favorites for the bird flu stuff.