WHO to assess whether H1N1 peak is over

GENEVA (AP) - The World Health Organization will hold an expert meeting later this month to consider whether the swine flu pandemic's peak has passed.

WHO flu chief Keiji Fukuda says the panel will give its verdict to U.N. health chief Margaret Chan on whether the H1N1 pandemic has entered a "transition period."

Fukuda says that decision would mean the global epidemic is continuing but moving "toward the post-pandemic period."

He told reporters Thursday that WHO is also mulling whether to advise governments and drug companies to include the swine flu strain in future vaccines for seasonal influenza.

There have been over 15,000 laboratory confirmed deaths from swine flu worldwide. But WHO says the actual death toll is significantly higher.