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EDITORIAL: Leave no gap in swine flu preparations
2009/9/7
The spread of swine flu shows no signs of abating. The new school term has started, but a number of classes and entire schools have closed down.
Most healthy people, even if they are infected, suffer only light symptoms. However, there have been severe cases among not only the elderly with preexisting conditions but also relatively young people. We must not let our guard down.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, as early as late this month, the worst of the epidemic is expected to arrive with one in five people becoming infected and more than 40,000 people being hospitalized daily. This could be the first test for the incoming Hatoyama administration due to take power in mid-September.
The Democratic Party of Japan has declared fighting influenza as their top priority during the transition. There must be no vacuum in preparation and control measures due to a change in government. We urge ministries, agencies and local governments to step up their efforts.
The focus of attention is on the flu vaccine, an important method in fighting the illness. Vaccines are not all that effective in preventing the spread of the flu, but it is hoped it will prevent the symptoms from getting serious.
According to estimates by the health ministry, 54 million people will need the vaccine, but doses for only 18 million people can be produced in Japan by next March. Japan's inability to mass produce the vaccine is quite conspicuous among the industrialized nations.
Japan intends to make up for this shortfall by importing the vaccine. However, some doctors are concerned about the safety of foreign products they are unfamiliar with. This is because influenza vaccines, albeit quite rare, can cause serious side effects.
On Friday, the health ministry put together a triage protocol for vaccine inoculations. Medical workers and pregnant women, those with preexisting conditions, small children aged one year or over, and parents of children aged less than one year will take precedence. Next in line will be the elderly who are prone to experience intense symptoms, as well as students in primary, junior and senior high schools. This is because although young students are unlikely to experience severe symptoms, the infection tends to spread rapidly in this age group.
The government will need to explain carefully to the public the reasoning underlying the plan, as well as the effects and limitations of the vaccine, and spell out how far the lack of domestic vaccines will be supplemented by imports.
The government should also clarify to what extent high-priority groups with different preventive objectives will be inoculated.
Inoculations will start only after late October, and not in time for the epidemic peak expected later this month. So, measures other than vaccinations must be put in place.
High on the priority list is to prepare the medical institutions so that they can cope with the rapid spike of severe cases. It is also necessary that community hospitals and clinics should carry out a division of labor to cope with the situation.
There are also anti-viral drugs like Tamiflu which can be expected to reduce the virus count, if taken early. Moreover, how we conduct ourselves, every one of us, to prevent being infected or infecting others, will also be crucial. It seems we cannot avoid a massive epidemic, but there is no need to be excessively fearful, either.
The new government needs to set up a crisis management framework as soon as possible so as to prevent social confusion. And then we urge the new government to offer the public accurate information based on expert advice at the most opportune times so that the public can stay calm and act accordingly.
--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 5(IHT/Asahi: September 7,2009
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-...909070044.html
The spread of swine flu shows no signs of abating. The new school term has started, but a number of classes and entire schools have closed down.
Most healthy people, even if they are infected, suffer only light symptoms. However, there have been severe cases among not only the elderly with preexisting conditions but also relatively young people. We must not let our guard down.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, as early as late this month, the worst of the epidemic is expected to arrive with one in five people becoming infected and more than 40,000 people being hospitalized daily. This could be the first test for the incoming Hatoyama administration due to take power in mid-September.
The Democratic Party of Japan has declared fighting influenza as their top priority during the transition. There must be no vacuum in preparation and control measures due to a change in government. We urge ministries, agencies and local governments to step up their efforts.
The focus of attention is on the flu vaccine, an important method in fighting the illness. Vaccines are not all that effective in preventing the spread of the flu, but it is hoped it will prevent the symptoms from getting serious.
According to estimates by the health ministry, 54 million people will need the vaccine, but doses for only 18 million people can be produced in Japan by next March. Japan's inability to mass produce the vaccine is quite conspicuous among the industrialized nations.
Japan intends to make up for this shortfall by importing the vaccine. However, some doctors are concerned about the safety of foreign products they are unfamiliar with. This is because influenza vaccines, albeit quite rare, can cause serious side effects.
On Friday, the health ministry put together a triage protocol for vaccine inoculations. Medical workers and pregnant women, those with preexisting conditions, small children aged one year or over, and parents of children aged less than one year will take precedence. Next in line will be the elderly who are prone to experience intense symptoms, as well as students in primary, junior and senior high schools. This is because although young students are unlikely to experience severe symptoms, the infection tends to spread rapidly in this age group.
The government will need to explain carefully to the public the reasoning underlying the plan, as well as the effects and limitations of the vaccine, and spell out how far the lack of domestic vaccines will be supplemented by imports.
The government should also clarify to what extent high-priority groups with different preventive objectives will be inoculated.
Inoculations will start only after late October, and not in time for the epidemic peak expected later this month. So, measures other than vaccinations must be put in place.
High on the priority list is to prepare the medical institutions so that they can cope with the rapid spike of severe cases. It is also necessary that community hospitals and clinics should carry out a division of labor to cope with the situation.
There are also anti-viral drugs like Tamiflu which can be expected to reduce the virus count, if taken early. Moreover, how we conduct ourselves, every one of us, to prevent being infected or infecting others, will also be crucial. It seems we cannot avoid a massive epidemic, but there is no need to be excessively fearful, either.
The new government needs to set up a crisis management framework as soon as possible so as to prevent social confusion. And then we urge the new government to offer the public accurate information based on expert advice at the most opportune times so that the public can stay calm and act accordingly.
--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 5(IHT/Asahi: September 7,2009
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-...909070044.html
