Cuba launches campaign flu vaccination

[Tonka]

http://spanish.peopledaily.com.cn/31617/7650114.html

Spanish to English translation

Cuba launches campaign flu vaccination
HAVANA, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) - Cuban health authorities will begin on Monday an influenza vaccination campaign which will run for a month, with the increase of acute respiratory infections in the population of the island, in a move that immunize more than half a million Cubans selected.

The campaign will run until December 21 to come to the increased acute respiratory infections in all age groups said this week the newspaper Granma.

The deputy minister of Hygiene and Epidemiology of the Ministry of Public Health (Ministry of Public Health), Dr. Luis Estruch, revealed that respiratory infections are a global health problem, ranking as the fourth leading cause of death in the island.

You are guaranteed all conditions, from disposables to the preparation and availability of medical personnel and institutions where vaccination is carried out, for his part said Maria del Carmen Machado, a pediatric intensivist National Maternal and Child Department.

The specialist explained that the expected MINSAP immunize the population over 85 years, people with chronic diseases (cardiovascular, renal), immunocompromised patients, disabled and pregnant women between the second and third trimesters.

Doses also receive medical personnel serving in intensive care units, pediatric and neonatal emergencies.

For this season's flu vaccine, 612,000 doses were applied, said Machado, who revealed that each one costs about four dollars to the Cuban government, which distributes them for free. It is a considerable expense, but necessary "because our National Health System as fundamental principles prevention and health promotion," said the specialist.

Machado added that the vaccine does not apply to children because they have extensive coverage of vaccination, because from birth children receive immunizations against 13 different diseases.

However, the specialist called mothers to maintain exclusive breastfeeding for six months and completed up to two years, as an effective way to immunize children.

The vaccine is a compound that incorporates three types of virus, H1N1, H3N2, and respiratory syncytial virus, the most frequent in the country.

The vaccination campaign was announced last month by the middle of the Cuban health authorities, who alerted on the circulation of two types of seasonal flu virus that infects especially the elderly and young children.

At present, influenza viruses have an increased circulation are H3N2, with a predilection mainly by the adult population, and respiratory syncytial virus that affects less than one year, reported Granma newspaper a note.

However, the newspaper noted that this does not exclude that both pathogens afflicting people of all ages.

Granma Cuban recommended to take preventive measures and hygiene to the flu and seek medical attention at the first signs, so that the health experts tell them to continue treatment and avoid the occurrence of a picture of pneumonia and other complications. The newspaper said that children and people over 65 years, as well as those with chronic diseases are the groups most at risk of complications, especially those arising from pneumonia. Since 1999 the country was laid out the goal of increasing the coverage of influenza vaccine in different risk groups, so that this year 18,000 were applied dose to reach over 600,000 in the current season.

[Tonka]

Re: Cuba launches campaign flu vaccination

http://www.radiomoron.cu/noticia-100440/inmunizadas-cerca-de-80-000-personas

Spanish to English translation

Immunized nearly 80 000 people

Source: Granma Date: Mon, 05/12/2011 - 6:23 a.m. Category (s): Health
In the first 10 days of initiation of vaccination against seasonal influenza has been administered to about 80 000 persons considered "higher risk", which protects them from three of the circulating virus, the H1N1 pandemic, the seasonal H3N2 and influenza type B. In this campaign, which includes more than 600 000 people, including those over 85 years and various age groups with special vulnerability, mainly to the onset of pneumonia, such as boarding in nursing homes, the handicapped, psychiatric hospitals, houses grandfather, who present kidney problems, liver, blood, cystic fibrosis and cerebral palsy. asthmatics and diabetics also included in the ages of 15 and 24, and pregnant women who are in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy in the immunization period, which runs until the 21st of this month. A greater susceptibility of the above is incorporated health personnel linked to the care of critically ill patients which plays in respiratory services and laboratories. In addition, farm workers and poultry husbandry. Inadvertently of the information source from the Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), the announcement of this campaign was included in the list of those who were vaccinated patients with heart disease. Although the error is not attributable to our newspaper, we are also responsible, and therefore, we apologize for any inconvenience we have caused. It is important to stress the importance of this vaccination given at this time of year and up March, is produced in our country an increase of acute respiratory diseases and, within them influenza is a health problem. According to the Statistical Yearbook of the Ministry of Public Health influenza and pneumonia ranked fourth cause of death in our country.