Re: Sanitary measures in schools for A H1N1
http://excelsior.com.mx/index.php?m=nota&id_nota=805059&seccion=seccion-nacional&cat=1
Spanish-English translation
Activate health screening in schools for A H1N1
Secretariats of Health Education and ordered to install filters to the inputs of the schools to contain flu
MEXICO CITY, January 25 .- Given the increase in cases of seasonal influenza type A H1N1, the Secretaries of Education and Health asked the federal state governments set up health screening on admission to the schools, in order to prevent the spread virus among students.
Both agencies noted that following the health risk that was applied in May 2009, it was shown that these health practices among students avoid the spread of the virus and other respiratory diseases increasing in the winter season.
Thus, from January 20 Pasdar SEP, through the Secretariat of Basic Education, jobs sent to all secretaries of Education of the entities, which asked to coordinate with their respective health authorities to agree on preventive actions within schools in their states, as has been done in previous years.
In a joint statement, the federal ministries clarified that this recommendation does not establish a contingency plan because it is not an outbreak, but it needs to be alert for preventive action to reduce the chance of infection, because between December 2011 and middle of this month there was an increase in consultations for acute respiratory illnesses and influenza A H1N1.
They insisted that the increase of this virus is "typical of the winter season and remain in circulation as part of the natural course, so there is no cause for alarm", but the SEP asked state governments to strengthen the guidance educational community, in addition to "reactivate the installation of filters with respective protocols to detect possible cases with symptoms of seasonal influenza and channel them to health units."
In the letter sent to the secretaries of state education, the SEP calls for the winter period preventive measures to stay within the campus, starting with the proper application of hand washing, covering your mouth when you sneeze and clean the furniture in the schools .
Federal officials noted that these measures will help create a healthy environment and lessen the risk of spreading the virus, but the Guidelines for preventing and mitigating the effects of influenza A H1N1 in the education sector warns of "new growth "so it is essential to establish an Action Plan for School Contingency Sanitary Epidemiologic offering targeted short-term results.
The SEP state authorities insisted guide schools to perform continuous monitoring, to enable them to detect possible cases of influenza and initiate appropriate action, such as the installation of school filters, which is required to consult the guidelines at http : / / basica.sep.gob.mx / dgdgie / cva / site / start.php? act = matinflu
A health emergency for H1N1 denies
Pablo Kuri, Undersecretary of Prevention and Health Promotion of the Ministry of Health (SSA), denied that the country has an emergency situation by the number of cases of H1N1 influenza that have occurred in recent weeks.
Interviewed for the third issue of Cadenatres news Pedro Ferriz, the official stressed that the health authorities are in no way minimizing the situation.
He noted that unlike the first outbreak was recorded in April 2009, now the country is better prepared to deal with cases.
Pablo Kuri denied that there is a shortage of vaccine, but said that at times the distribution is complicated, because it is necessary to keep in the refrigerator, and there are cases where demand causes health centers running out of vaccine temporarily .
He said health authorities expect that during the winter season are given about seven thousand cases reported.
The SSA ensures supply of antiviral
On instructions from the Secretary of Health, Solomon Chertorivski, General Hospital of Mexico take for free the antiviral oseltamivir to treat influenza, provided the patient has a prescription that prescribes.
This after recognizing that a registered private pharmacies the drug supply problem because the manufacturer did not request them stocked, due to the delay in flu season began in late December.
"Indeed, in some pharmacies in the country has been a problem of supply of the drug. The first cases (of disease) were delayed a month and a half, compared to what usually happens with seasonal influenza is therefore requested that pharmacies do not stock and the company did not distribute "argued the Minister of Health .
But he said that the charge dependence was found that Roche, the manufacturer has inventory "extra" of oseltamivir.
Spread that the laboratory has enough prescribed medication against influenza virus and will continue working with the Ministry of Health and private pharmacies so that the product is available for those who need it.
"(The lab) immediately being given to the task of dividing and distributing it to the pharmacies so requested," said Chertorivski, after submission of the Agreement on the equivalence of Medical Devices in Japan.
Even he said, speaking with representatives from private pharmacies to ask which is distributed to the antiviral treatment of influenza, in order that the population has access to it.
If for any reason, however, did not find anyone at the drug oseltamivir, said that you can ask at the General Hospital of Mexico where it is granted in exchange for the free prescription.
"I repeat: we are with sufficiency of the drug in all institutions of the Health Sector: yet, for even easier access, I have instructed the Secretary Pablo Kuri, and the director of General Hospital of Mexico, Dr. Francisco Navarro, the General Hospital pharmacy, which is for the public's attention, if it is needed the recipe, the recipe required, to provide, without cost, the treatment ", he said.
He recalled that the Ministry of Health has a reserve of just over 1.4 million treatment courses of oseltamivir, while others were distributed and 300 000.
"In all the health institutions is oseltamivir sufficient to meet any need in terms of influenza or any respiratory problem with similar symptoms," assured
She further stated that it has the ability to shift between 24 and 48 hours treatments where required.
According to recent data from the Ministry of Health, so far this year have been 637 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza, of which 537 correspond to the H1N1 strain. It also already has the record of ten deaths, nine of these also attributable to the H1N1 virus, while the tenth is not subtyped.
The authorities have announced that, it is estimated that this season might present between 3 000 and up to 7 thousand cases of the disease, which considered within normal limits in a flu season,
so at this far have ruled out the existence of some type of alarm or alert.
