Sally Furniss
Well-known member
More than 800,000 immunised against flu
Over 800,000 people have already been immunised against flu this year
Sat, 24 Apr 2010 1:04p.m.
Over 800,000 people have already been immunised against flu this year - more than in the entire 2008 flu season and around 100,000 more than at the same time last year.
The Ministry of Health said this would make a real contribution to lessening the risk of a big second wave of swine flu this year, as the 12 month anniversary of the first cases arriving in New Zealand rolls around.
The level of immunisation comes despite a backlog created by a week-long standstill at Europe's airports due to the Iceland volcanic eruption which interrupted the supply of vaccine.
Deputy director of public health Dr Darren Hunt said the next shipment should arrive from France to replenish the national stockpile early next week.
But there was still likely to be some shortfall in vaccine supply for a few days and possibly some delays in GPs being able to book people in for immunisation.
As many as 65,000 doses were expected to be delivered from Europe, and there were currently 80,000 in store.
It is a year since a group of school children arrived back in New Zealand after falling ill with suspected swine flu while on a trip to South America. So far this year, only four cases of the H1N1 virus have been confirmed in New Zealand.
Dr Hunt said the fact that a lot more people are have been immunised against influenza this year should help.
"We're doing a lot of planning for a possible second wave this year. We're anticipating it's not going to be as large as last year. Basically, we want people to keep doing the things that they have been doing."
Meanwhile doctors in New Zealand have been advised against using the influenza vaccine Fluvax on children following reports in Australia of some cases of convulsions soon after jabs.
Health Ministry chief advisor for child and youth health, Pat Tuohy, said there wasn't a lot of information at the moment, but "as a sensible precaution we recommend that providers avoid giving Fluvax to children under five until there have been further investigations".
"We still recommend that children at higher risk for flu complications get immunised using other brands of the vaccine," Dr Tuohy said. "Our experience during the 2009 pandemic showed that children are more likely to catch the pandemic strain, and that a number became very unwell."
He said health providers and parents needed to be aware that fever following immunisation was common.
NZPA
http://www.3news.co.nz/More-than-80...m_campaign=Feed:+co/HCaY+(3News-+Latest+News)
Over 800,000 people have already been immunised against flu this year
Sat, 24 Apr 2010 1:04p.m.
Over 800,000 people have already been immunised against flu this year - more than in the entire 2008 flu season and around 100,000 more than at the same time last year.
The Ministry of Health said this would make a real contribution to lessening the risk of a big second wave of swine flu this year, as the 12 month anniversary of the first cases arriving in New Zealand rolls around.
The level of immunisation comes despite a backlog created by a week-long standstill at Europe's airports due to the Iceland volcanic eruption which interrupted the supply of vaccine.
Deputy director of public health Dr Darren Hunt said the next shipment should arrive from France to replenish the national stockpile early next week.
But there was still likely to be some shortfall in vaccine supply for a few days and possibly some delays in GPs being able to book people in for immunisation.
As many as 65,000 doses were expected to be delivered from Europe, and there were currently 80,000 in store.
It is a year since a group of school children arrived back in New Zealand after falling ill with suspected swine flu while on a trip to South America. So far this year, only four cases of the H1N1 virus have been confirmed in New Zealand.
Dr Hunt said the fact that a lot more people are have been immunised against influenza this year should help.
"We're doing a lot of planning for a possible second wave this year. We're anticipating it's not going to be as large as last year. Basically, we want people to keep doing the things that they have been doing."
Meanwhile doctors in New Zealand have been advised against using the influenza vaccine Fluvax on children following reports in Australia of some cases of convulsions soon after jabs.
Health Ministry chief advisor for child and youth health, Pat Tuohy, said there wasn't a lot of information at the moment, but "as a sensible precaution we recommend that providers avoid giving Fluvax to children under five until there have been further investigations".
"We still recommend that children at higher risk for flu complications get immunised using other brands of the vaccine," Dr Tuohy said. "Our experience during the 2009 pandemic showed that children are more likely to catch the pandemic strain, and that a number became very unwell."
He said health providers and parents needed to be aware that fever following immunisation was common.
NZPA
http://www.3news.co.nz/More-than-80...m_campaign=Feed:+co/HCaY+(3News-+Latest+News)