The World Health Organisation has lashed out at the irresponsibility of those who have been trying to depict the warnings of a swine flu pandemic as a false alarm designed to help the pharmaceutical industry. There is little doubt that industry did benefit financially from the sale of vaccines and anti-viral drugs, but ultimately society has been the main beneficiary.

THE World Health Organisation declared a swine flu pandemic yesterday – the first global flu epidemic in 41 years – as infections in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere climbed to nearly 30,000 cases.

AN assessment by the experts of how dangerous swine flu is and could become is full of question marks.