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Medicine for swine flu arrives on Guam
By Brett Kelman ? Pacific Daily News ? May 5, 2009
A stockpile of medication that could combat an outbreak of swine flu arrived on Guam yesterday, but will not be offered for public consumption unless it is necessary.
Guam Homeland Security Office of Civil Defense spokeswoman Leslie Leon Guerrero said a shipment of Tamiflu delivered by the federal government is being kept on island but she couldn't say where for security reasons.
"We want the community to really understand that Guam is ready, should something happen here," Leon Guerrero said. She said the government was still counting the medication as of yesterday afternoon, so she didn't know how much they got.
Public Health physician Dr. Bernard Stupski said that the medication shouldn't be released unless swine flu reaches Guam. Guam hasn't had a confirmed or suspected case yet.
"(The stockpile) is a resource and you don't want it to be misused. You want to make sure you have it when you need it," Stupski said.
According to The Associated Press, the tally of swine flu in the United States had climbed to 245 confirmed cases by yesterday afternoon, although most of the cases were found because laboratories caught up on their backlog of test samples.
The infection has spread to 35 states, but the only swine flu death in the U.S. was that of a Mexican toddler who was visiting Texas, the AP states.
Mexico has 590 confirmed cases and 25 deaths, although the outbreak is declining, the AP states. Dr. Anne Schuchat, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said the infection is growing in the mainland.
"We believe we are just in the upswing here," she told the AP.
Stupski yesterday said it's difficult to tell if the increase in confirmed cases in the U.S. mainland will make it more likely that swine flu comes to Guam.
As swine flu spreads further across the mainland, some local doctors are taking steps to prepare.
Outreach
The Guam Medical Association will host a conference Thursday evening to prepare for the possibility of a local swine flu infection, according to the association.
"Basically we will have a good update on the pandemic flu plan for Guam," said Dr. Thomas Shieh, association president-elect. "That way we can be better prepared for anything that comes (to) our island."
The two-hour medical conference will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa. All local health-care providers are invited.
By Brett Kelman ? Pacific Daily News ? May 5, 2009
A stockpile of medication that could combat an outbreak of swine flu arrived on Guam yesterday, but will not be offered for public consumption unless it is necessary.
Guam Homeland Security Office of Civil Defense spokeswoman Leslie Leon Guerrero said a shipment of Tamiflu delivered by the federal government is being kept on island but she couldn't say where for security reasons.
"We want the community to really understand that Guam is ready, should something happen here," Leon Guerrero said. She said the government was still counting the medication as of yesterday afternoon, so she didn't know how much they got.
Public Health physician Dr. Bernard Stupski said that the medication shouldn't be released unless swine flu reaches Guam. Guam hasn't had a confirmed or suspected case yet.
"(The stockpile) is a resource and you don't want it to be misused. You want to make sure you have it when you need it," Stupski said.
According to The Associated Press, the tally of swine flu in the United States had climbed to 245 confirmed cases by yesterday afternoon, although most of the cases were found because laboratories caught up on their backlog of test samples.
The infection has spread to 35 states, but the only swine flu death in the U.S. was that of a Mexican toddler who was visiting Texas, the AP states.
Mexico has 590 confirmed cases and 25 deaths, although the outbreak is declining, the AP states. Dr. Anne Schuchat, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, said the infection is growing in the mainland.
"We believe we are just in the upswing here," she told the AP.
Stupski yesterday said it's difficult to tell if the increase in confirmed cases in the U.S. mainland will make it more likely that swine flu comes to Guam.
As swine flu spreads further across the mainland, some local doctors are taking steps to prepare.
Outreach
The Guam Medical Association will host a conference Thursday evening to prepare for the possibility of a local swine flu infection, according to the association.
"Basically we will have a good update on the pandemic flu plan for Guam," said Dr. Thomas Shieh, association president-elect. "That way we can be better prepared for anything that comes (to) our island."
The two-hour medical conference will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa. All local health-care providers are invited.
