vaccine to arrive in December

Saturday, 21 November 2009 11:48
(Colombo Lankapuvath November 21)The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has decided to import WHO approved Novel Influenza (A)H1N1 2009 vaccine to Sri Lanka and has already placed the order. The vaccine will arrive in December.

The decision was taken during a meeting held yesterday with the presence of Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva and representatives from the Epidemiology Unit, Medical Research Institute (MRI) and Medical Supplies Division (MSD) of the Ministry.

Once here, the vaccine will be given on a priority basis and the four high risk categories will receive it first. They are pregnant mothers, infants below six months, elderly above the age of 60 and persons who are suffering from chronic diseases.

Arrangements will be also made to provide the vaccine to persons in the medical and healthcare services. The first death due to A H1N1 in the Kurunegala District was reported yesterday (20).

The victim was a 58 year old Principal and the father of two. He was admitted to the Kurunagala Teaching Hospital yesterday with symptoms of the flu.

Reports also say that large numbers of officers from the army camp in Kurunagala have fallen ill with the virus.

The Nuwara Eliya district reported three AH1N1 cases with one from the Matale District.
Schools in the Central Province will be closed from Monday (23) due to the rapid spread of the disease.

Central Province Education Ministry Secretary Karunaratne Kekulandara has also requested owners of all private educational institutions and teachers in the Province to suspend tuition and other classes for students until further notice as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of AH1N1 virus which has already taken several lives in the region.
Kandy District had the largest concentration of private education institutes.

Meanwhile Norwegian health authorities said on Friday they have discovered a potentially significant mutation in the H1N1 influenza strain that could be responsible for causing the severest symptoms among those infected.

"The mutation could be affecting the virus' ability to go deeper into the respiratory system, thus causing more serious illness," the Norwegian Institute of Public Health said in a statement.

The World Health Organisation said that the mutation did not appear to be widespread in Norway and the virus in its mutated form remained sensitive to antivirals and pandemic vaccines.

A similar mutation had been detected in H1N1 viruses circulating in several other countries, including China and the United States, in severe as well as in some mild cases, it said.

"Although further investigation is under way, no evidence currently suggests that these mutations are leading to an unusual increase in the number of H1N1 infections or a greater number of severe or fatal cases," the WHO said in a statement.

H1N1, a mixture of swine, bird and human viruses, has killed at least 6,770 people globally, according to its latest update.

Norway has seen relatively more fatalities in the flu pandemic compared to the size of the population versus other European countries, with 23 confirmed deaths.


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Contradicting news from various sources!
We personally do not think that this minister can be that efficient!
Let's better find out whether he is getting a commission from these vaccinations or he may be in need of defending his position as the minister.