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H1N1 PANDEMIC: Malaysia braces for local transmission
By : Lydia Gomez
KUALA LUMPUR, Fri:
The World Health Organisation declared last night a level 6 influenza A pandemic, putting the world on the highest alert for the disease in 40 years.But Malaysia is prepared for it.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the health authorities were geared up to face the threat, with heightened health measures already in place.
The WHO met late last night to assess the global H1N1 outbreak. A level 6 alert means the disease has become widespread globally. The disease has spread to more than 70 countries with about 27,000 infections.
WHO has repeatedly tried to avert panic by stressing the "mildness" of the disease as the death rate is now one per cent. After a level 6 alert, orders would go out for pharmaceutical factories to stop production of seasonal flu vaccines and start production of the H1N1 vaccine.
Liow told Bernama last night that the Health Ministry would activate the inter-ministerial influenza pandemic committee that coordinated all efforts to tackle the outbreak of H1N1 in the country.
He said health authorities were bracing for local transmission as two more new cases were reported in the country.
Although all 11 cases were foreign visitors or Malaysians returning from overseas, Liow said the authorities could not rule out the possibility of local transmission as some of the patients tested positive had been going about freely in public areas before they were quarantined.
Liow voiced frustration that the countries which had local transmission of the disease were cool towards an Asean proposal that exit screenings be carried out.
"There has been no action. Maybe the (foreign) authorities will consider it when level 6 is declared," Liow said.
With a global pandemic is declared, the Health Ministry may take screening to schools and kindergartens.
"Now, we are screening people at all entry points and airports. If it gets worse, we will go to schools and kindergartens, but we will not close them," Liow said when asked if Malaysia would follow Hong Kong's move to close schools and kindergartens to stem the spread of the disease.
"We will take drastic measures if we have to in order to keep it from spreading."
This included vaccinating frontliners under the National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan.
In the event of a local transmission, the movements of affected people will be monitored closely to prevent infection.
"Although the fatality rate is just one per cent, we cannot take things for granted. Who knows how deadly the next wave of this virus will be?" Liow said.
Liow has confirmed that a 17-year-old girl and a 41-year-old woman were admitted to the Sungai Buloh Hospital and Penang Hospital after returning home from overseas.
The teenager, who returned from Melbourne on flight MH148 on Tuesday after a family visit, was sent to hospital after thermal scanners indicated that she had fever.
The hospital confirmed that she had H1N1 late on Wednesday. The woman returned from a holiday in Manila on Singapore Airlines flight SQ192 on June 6 and was hospitalised when found to have fever.
Liow said 178 passengers from both planes had been quarantined, but none had shown symptoms of the disease
H1N1 PANDEMIC: Malaysia braces for local transmission
By : Lydia Gomez
KUALA LUMPUR, Fri:
The World Health Organisation declared last night a level 6 influenza A pandemic, putting the world on the highest alert for the disease in 40 years.But Malaysia is prepared for it.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the health authorities were geared up to face the threat, with heightened health measures already in place.
The WHO met late last night to assess the global H1N1 outbreak. A level 6 alert means the disease has become widespread globally. The disease has spread to more than 70 countries with about 27,000 infections.
WHO has repeatedly tried to avert panic by stressing the "mildness" of the disease as the death rate is now one per cent. After a level 6 alert, orders would go out for pharmaceutical factories to stop production of seasonal flu vaccines and start production of the H1N1 vaccine.
Liow told Bernama last night that the Health Ministry would activate the inter-ministerial influenza pandemic committee that coordinated all efforts to tackle the outbreak of H1N1 in the country.
He said health authorities were bracing for local transmission as two more new cases were reported in the country.
Although all 11 cases were foreign visitors or Malaysians returning from overseas, Liow said the authorities could not rule out the possibility of local transmission as some of the patients tested positive had been going about freely in public areas before they were quarantined.
Liow voiced frustration that the countries which had local transmission of the disease were cool towards an Asean proposal that exit screenings be carried out.
"There has been no action. Maybe the (foreign) authorities will consider it when level 6 is declared," Liow said.
With a global pandemic is declared, the Health Ministry may take screening to schools and kindergartens.
"Now, we are screening people at all entry points and airports. If it gets worse, we will go to schools and kindergartens, but we will not close them," Liow said when asked if Malaysia would follow Hong Kong's move to close schools and kindergartens to stem the spread of the disease.
"We will take drastic measures if we have to in order to keep it from spreading."
This included vaccinating frontliners under the National Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan.
In the event of a local transmission, the movements of affected people will be monitored closely to prevent infection.
"Although the fatality rate is just one per cent, we cannot take things for granted. Who knows how deadly the next wave of this virus will be?" Liow said.
Liow has confirmed that a 17-year-old girl and a 41-year-old woman were admitted to the Sungai Buloh Hospital and Penang Hospital after returning home from overseas.
The teenager, who returned from Melbourne on flight MH148 on Tuesday after a family visit, was sent to hospital after thermal scanners indicated that she had fever.
The hospital confirmed that she had H1N1 late on Wednesday. The woman returned from a holiday in Manila on Singapore Airlines flight SQ192 on June 6 and was hospitalised when found to have fever.
Liow said 178 passengers from both planes had been quarantined, but none had shown symptoms of the disease
