The wait is finally over for healthy adults aged 25-64: you too will now be able to receive an H1N1 vaccine in the District of Columbia, regardless of whether you have a preexisting condition. The D.C. Department of Health announced today that this final expansion of eligibility goes into effect on Monday, December 13. more ›

Just when we had all been hearing that the swine flu had peaked, the Post reports today that Maryland and Virginia are both starting to report drug-resistant cases of H1N1. Two Virginia residents have been treated for Tamiflu-resistant swine flu, as have two patients at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore. And buried at the bottom of this story: D.C. has now confirmed its very first swine flu-related death. "The patient was an adult male with a preexisting condition, Health Department spokeswoman Dena Iverson said." more ›

Unless you've got little kids or are under 24 (and apparently the young people care not for this vaccine, if the Post is to be believed), you probably haven't even tried to go get an H1N1 vaccine yet. The District government only late last week opened up its free vaccine clinics to adults over age 24, and for the time being, that only includes adults with underlying health conditions such as asthma or diabetes, or those who are currently or will soon be caregivers of children under 6 months. more ›

Even when the news is bad, it's at least reassuring to read that what you've anecdotally observed is in fact part of a larger trend. The Post today says that hospitals are reporting a sharp rise in summer flu cases across the region, something we've certainly noticed seems to be true based on the number of friends and colleagues who have come down with nasty bugs in the last month. The main culprit does appear to be the H1N1 virus, aka Swine Flu, which explains why there are so many new flu cases at a time of year when there are typically zero. The really special part? "The federal authorities said it's too early to tell whether those who contract H1N1 now will be immune in fall when the flu season kicks into high gear." So those of you who've been sick for the last two weeks may get to do this all over again in December. Think about investing in Campbell's chicken noodle soup. more ›

>> The NYT takes a closer look at the selected National Museum of African American History and Culture design. The piece features more views of the museum, including a Kara Walker installation. [New York Times] more ›

The swine flu scare is saying sayonara. The virus, while very infectious, proved not to be very deadly. With this new CDC directive, all closed Maryland schools will reopen Wednesday. As far as we know, Our Lady of Victory in the District has not yet decided to reopen. more ›

We're noticing a trend in the DCist photo pool. Swine Flu has captured the undivided attention of every media outlet and the imaginations of local pranksters. If you spot anymore clever pandemic art, add it to our pool on Flickr. more ›

Despite the fact that epidemiologists have said that the swine flu isn't a drastically worse bug than the conventional flu, and notwithstanding the fact that conditions in near Maryland are not like the conditions in areas of Mexico where swine flu has claimed lives, a fifth school in Prince George's County will close on the threat of swine flu, reports ABC7. Six-hundred students plus faculty and staff will enjoy up to two weeks' recess from all academic and extracurricular activities. Swine flu has not yet been diagnosed at any PG County school. Nevertheless, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley isn't taking any chances. Declaring a statewide public health emergency, Gov. O'Malley is closing any school where a probable case of swine flu is detected. Fortunately, the flu season is rapidly coming to a close—but then again, so is the spring semester. more ›

The official press release from the District regarding the two probable cases of swine flu at George Washington University is below. Unlike the Obama advance guy and the World Bank employee, both of whom live in Maryland, these two cases are being counted in the District proper. Note that the city is directing residents to www.doh.dc.gov for further updates and information. more ›

A member of the White House advance team and his family are also preliminarily being looked at as swine flu patients, reports AP. But just like the World Bank employee, the White House staffer and his family all live in Maryland, so this too is not counted as a District of Columbia case. "We still have no known cases of H1N1 in the District," D.C. Department of Health spokesperson Dena Iverson said this afternoon. Of course, given that these people all work inside the District, that's a technical distinction you could argue doesn't have very much of a difference. more ›

Earlier today the World Bank announced that one of its D.C.-based employees had preliminarily tested positive for swine flu, but it turns out that should the case be confirmed by a second test, it wouldn't actually be counted as the District's first case. World Bank spokesperson David Theis confirmed that while the employee in question did enter the Bank's offices while sick on April 20, the employee technically lives in Maryland, and so this case would be counted toward the state's tally of confirmed swine flu patients. Per the relevant protocols, the World Bank is in contact with the D.C. Department of Health on this case, but ultimately, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will the one to keep track of it. We're still waiting on a call back from the Maryland health department to see if we can find out which county the World Bank employee lives in—they're having an understandably busy day over there.
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Animal rights group PETA has submitted an application to Capitol Police to set up an actual pig pen on the steps of the Capitol, complete with fans to blow the odor of urine and manure toward lawmakers, The Hill is reporting. PETA, long known for its aggressive tactics to promote vegetarianism and protect animal rights, hopes the display will drive home the point that the recent worldwide swine flu outbreak is linked with hog farms. more ›

A World Bank employee here in Washington has been preliminarily diagnosed with a case of swine flu, Bloomberg is reporting. The employee in question had reportedly traveled on business in Mexico between April 14 and April 18. An email sent to local World Bank offices said that the employee has already recovered from the illness, but colleagues who were in contact with him when he was in the D.C. office on April 20 have been asked to work from home for the time being. A second test to confirm the swine flu diagnosis is reportedly underway. UPDATE: Official statement released by the World Bank is after the jump. more ›