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Australia Prepares Swine Flu Shots from Stockpile (Update1)
By Marion Rae
March 22 (Bloomberg) -- Australian Health Minister Nicola Roxon said today that swine flu will match last year?s severity in Australia, when 191 deaths were associated with the pandemic influenza that killed almost 17,000 people worldwide.
?We have the vaccine that can be provided to every Australian over six months old,? Roxon told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. in a radio interview today, as the government rolls out free vaccinations. ?We expect it to be of the same level of severity as last year.?
In 2009, there were 37,636 cases of swine flu in Australia. The median age of those who died was 53 years of age, compared with 83 years for seasonal influenza.
Swine flu is likely to be the dominant form of influenza this year in Australia, which has a population of 21 million. It could strike earlier than May, the start of the country?s flu season, prompting the government to urge Australians to get the free PanvaxH1N1 flu shot, produced by CSL Ltd.
?We purchased 21 million doses of the vaccine, so there are absolutely sufficient for the community,? Roxon said. ?It has quite a long shelf life, it can be provided throughout this flu season.?
More than 213 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory-confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 16,813 deaths, the World Health Organization said in the latest update issued on its Web site on March 19.
To contact the reporter on this story: Marion Rae in Canberra at mrae3@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: March 21, 2010 19:18 EDT
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=aSm2ZwFZ6gSE
By Marion Rae
March 22 (Bloomberg) -- Australian Health Minister Nicola Roxon said today that swine flu will match last year?s severity in Australia, when 191 deaths were associated with the pandemic influenza that killed almost 17,000 people worldwide.
?We have the vaccine that can be provided to every Australian over six months old,? Roxon told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. in a radio interview today, as the government rolls out free vaccinations. ?We expect it to be of the same level of severity as last year.?
In 2009, there were 37,636 cases of swine flu in Australia. The median age of those who died was 53 years of age, compared with 83 years for seasonal influenza.
Swine flu is likely to be the dominant form of influenza this year in Australia, which has a population of 21 million. It could strike earlier than May, the start of the country?s flu season, prompting the government to urge Australians to get the free PanvaxH1N1 flu shot, produced by CSL Ltd.
?We purchased 21 million doses of the vaccine, so there are absolutely sufficient for the community,? Roxon said. ?It has quite a long shelf life, it can be provided throughout this flu season.?
More than 213 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory-confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 16,813 deaths, the World Health Organization said in the latest update issued on its Web site on March 19.
To contact the reporter on this story: Marion Rae in Canberra at mrae3@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: March 21, 2010 19:18 EDT
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=aSm2ZwFZ6gSE