Influenza traditionally rises to its peak during autumn and winter, WHO Director General Margaret Chan warned on Friday (21st Aug 2009) that there had been second and third waves in previous pandemics. “We cannot say for certain whether the worst is over or the worst is yet to come,” Chan said in a videotaped address to a symposium on flu in the Asia-Pacific region. “We need to be prepared for whatever surprises this capricious new virus delivers next,” she added.
In the headlines of STRAITS TIMES yesterday (5th Sep 2009): 'Hospitals on alert for new flu wave' and 'four-fifths of people in Singapore have not been exposed to H1N1 yet'. The hospitals in Singapore are making sure they have enough facilities such as wards, manpower, medical supplies and infection control measures in place to deal with the sudden pandemic, the Ministry of Health (MOH) told The Straits Times.
Ever since the first outbreak of H1N1, Singapore had came out with many initiatives such as National Environment Agency's Singapore OK programme, Health Promotion Board's posters for proper management of hand-washing and personal hygiene.
Poster source: Health Promotion Board
All of these initiatives need the support of the people and they heed the advices, especially when it comes to personal hygiene. In the Pre-schools, the young children are taught to wash their hands properly with soap, teachers and parents have the responsibilities to take care of these young children when they are sick as they are the vulnerable group. In the Primary, Secondary schools and in colleges, health talks are conducted to raise the awareness of these group of personal hygiene. For the public, the media has been playing a very important role, there was emphasis on prevention of the Influenza. However, there was a survey conducted by AsiaOne, and that 3 in 10 Singaporeans don't wash hands after toilet. This is about 30% of the surveyed, this is a very serious issue for Singapore when we should be more vigilant after the SARS in 2003 and the first wave of H1N1.
Some points to ponder on:
1) How else can we raise the awareness of the public to better manage their personal hygiene?
2) Will the reporting of figures of H1N1-confirmed cases be efficient in raising the awareness of the public of the pandemic?
3) Do you think there's a need for everyone to be vaccined against the H1N1 flu?
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24 comments:
1. The initiatives are already in place and I must admit the govt has done quite a good job here. The prob mainly falls on the public as pple need time to adapt to new habits.
2. I do not think so. MOH already stopped updating the public on new cases unless they're deaths caused by the H1N1.
3. It would be nice to have evryone vaccinated against the H1N1, especially those in the vulnerable group suffering from other diseases. However, the vaccines must be made affordable to all.
Long: And I heard that the test for H1N1 was quite expensive. It'll be good if everyone is vaccinated against the flu.. I'm hoping that the vaccine should be at an affordable rate.
J: Sigh... I hope i did not shake my hands with those that did not wash their hands after they came out from the toilet....
Hey, Thanks Calvin. We're glad that the initiatives done by the govt is sufficient, and probably there's still the minimum number of people not responding to them.
And yes, they've stopped reporting. How about if they continue to report, will it make an impact to the current situation? hmm...
I totally agree that the vaccines must be made affordable too.. and perhaps different cost for the different age group? what do you think?
Hi Long, Yah, there was a commotion earlier for the cost of the testing for H1N1. The vaccines should be affordable so that the community will be immune against the flu. What do you think if the price of the vaccines varies for the different age group?
Hi J! (haha) ME too.. it's so unhygienic to shake hands with them.. how to make sure everyone practice personal hygiene?
Thus far, the posters by HPB used the fear factor to increase public awareness. it bites for some, it may not bite for some. I did not receive it positively though. That aside I do think that the authorities have done well and has acted timely as always in face of the sudden surge of H1N1 victims. An action to be applauded.
--Rapheal
Vaccines arent necessary, i feel as the strend of virus keeps evolving. Today you may have taken the vaccine, tomorrow it may be made redundant. In addition, news reports from the World Health organization states that at the current production rate, they are unable to keep up with the orders of the flu vaccines.
It is also a known fact that the flue virus spreads to those with lowered immunity (i.e. the young and the elderly) and those who don't practice a reasonable level of personal hygiene. SOme places I went to, for instance, the Changi Airport, Parkview Square, Expo, etc have already placed sanitizers all over to minimize the spread, something that should be commended.
-- Mr K.K Lee
Sporeans, in my opinion, are generally more particular in their personal hygiene. I can't say likewise for some foreigners. I'd seen them engage in unacceptable behaviour like spitting and coughing without covering their mouths. Something must be done to educate them.. can't let them going around spreading disease .. *shudder
I don't think it's necessary to haf evryone vaccinated against the flu. The flu is not deadly to evryone except for those with other medical complications. The govt is better off spending the money on improving other healthcare policies etc.
Hey hey... I think H1N1 is a tad over-rated and this is based on a personal experience at work. One co-worker was suspected to have contracted H1N1, he got absent from work and msged his boss abt his condition. HR got everyone's temp measured almost immediately as he was walking arnd office the previous days.
For some reason, my temperature was a notch > 36.9 (but I was totally well) and this other colleague literally took off and ran away from me as if I was a diseased entity.
Over-rating it makes people needlessly fearful =(
我想，只要你食得健康、保持营养均衡，患有多大的感冒都无需惊。建议大家多食维他命B、C，尤其因为最近天气炎热，有时又下雨，时湿时热，免疫力好易受影响。
I guess your article couldn't come in anytime handy. I bring your attention to today's Straits Times. The LIFE Section actually reported on the usage of the H1N1 poster by the HBP used to promote public hygiene. And guess what, the posters which featured a hand full of monster germs were ordered to be taken down after it was put up in bus stops within the vicinity of Schools. So much for promoting public hygiene, eh?
-- Jessica
Nothing beats having a first hand account of H1N1 as a nurse. The daily dose of news update of H1N1 from the media as well as from the hosital made sure we are on our toes. I cant stress the need for locals to practice personal hygiene. Asians are known to be a less civilized bunch as compared to our western counterparts (I mean generally speaking).
I am a strong advocate of education for the young. I think it is high time our education system teach the young some real life and practical situations, as H1N1 has highlighted. But i guess families must also play their part to make sure what was being taught in school has been reinforced at time.
It is a known fact the the viruses mutate overtime. So, please, let us all be prepared as a nation on the whole, practicing some decent degree of personal hygiene before the next wave of mutation hits us again.
Saw this article in the ST Breaking News, I thought it would be relevant to share with all you readers:
BEIJING - Tens of millions of people could be infected with swine flu in China in the coming months, a health ministry official said on Friday, adding that fatalities would be 'unavoidable'.
'According to expert estimates, our nation during the autumn season might have several tens of millions infected with A(H1N1),' Liang Wannian, deputy director of the ministry's health emergency office, told a press conference.
Mr Liang said of that total, 'half of them could experience clinical symptoms, several millions will seek medical help, and serious cases and fatalities will be unavoidable.'
The spread of A(H1N1) influenza in China has gathered pace as the autumn months approach, Liang said, with over half of the nation's nearly 7,000 cases detected between August 24 and September 10.
Of those cases, nearly 95 per cent were contracted within China, whereas the vast majority of cases reported from June to August originated abroad, he said.
'The situation we face is not optimistic,' Mr Liang said, noting that the virus had been found in all of China's 31 provinces and regions. 'We are facing severe challenges in our prevention and control work.' China has so far reported no swine flu deaths.
The State Council, or cabinet, on Thursday issued new regulations on handling A(H1N1) outbreaks, ordering the ministries of health and education, and the food and drug administration to coordinate prevention and control.
Since June, China has witnessed over 200 'large-scale' outbreaks of swine flu with over 85 per cent of them occurring in schools or at school-related activities, Mr Liang said.
China is soon expected to launch a nationwide vaccination programme. The World Health Organization has said it could be the first country in the world to do so. -- AFP
Link: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Asia/Story/STIStory_428374.html
I guess now the question is not if we need to get the flu vaccine, the question now is whether if we need one dose or two doses of the vaccines. The Straits Times on 12th Sept, Sat released a report that says adults may need only one shot of H1N1 vaccine, a piece of news which came in handy since the world over (Governments in particular) is frantically trying to source and stock up vaccines.
More and more Nations are also ready for the flu season now that the autumn is drawing to a near and experts expect the flu virus to intensify in this autumn season.
Thanks Keith for your comments. I have included the details as well as the link to the full report of what you mention:
WASHINGTON - AUSTRALIAN vaccine maker CSL Limited said on Thursday a single dose of its H1N1 swine flu vaccine would protect adults against the virus, a finding that means vaccine supplies can be stretched further than officials had estimated.
One 15 microgram dose of the CSL vaccine, which does not use an immune booster known as an adjuvant, got the desired immune response in 95 per cent of the 240 adults tested, the company reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The results support reports last week from rival vaccine maker Novartis and China's Sinovac, who separately reported their vaccines got protective immune responses in patients with one dose.
The new H1N1 strain of flu, declared a pandemic on June 11, could eventually infect a third of the world's population, or 2 billion people, according to the World Health Organization.
Because it is a new strain, infectious disease experts have said people would likely need two doses to get full immunity against the virus. They are rushing to put in place vaccine programs as the weather cools in the Northern Hemisphere and the traditional flu season starts.
Other pharmaceutical companies like Sanofi-Aventis, GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca's MedImmune unit are also racing to develop H1N1 vaccine as governments scramble to secure supplies.
H1N1 vaccines will be given separately from regular seasonal flu shots, something global health officials admit could create a logistical nightmare. If patients will only need one H1N1 dose, that could ease the burden considerably.
Separately, MedImmune officials said they had submitted safety data for their nasal spray swine flu vaccine to the US Food and Drug Administration.
'There are no red flags there. We think we can have 5 million doses ready to distribute at the end of September,' MedImmune's Dr Raburn Mallory said in an interview. US officials have not expected vaccination to begin until mid-October.
'Because our vaccine is a live vaccine it tends to have better one-dose efficacy than the killed vaccines,' he said. -- REUTERS
Link: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Tech%2Band%2BScience/Story/STIStory_428259.html
Thanks Mr K.K Lee for sharing!
The latest I have heard is that Inhaled vaccines are made ready for the market. Do check them out!
For Readers' Reference, in view of Raphael's comments:
WASHINGTON - MEDIMMUNE'S inhaled vaccine against the pandemic H1N1 virus could be ready to start shipping to the US government by the end of September, a company official said on Thursday.
MedImmune's Dr Raburn Mallory said the company, a unit of AstraZeneca, has submitted safety data for its nasal spray swine flu vaccine to the US Food and Drug Administration.
'There are no red flags there. We think we can have 5 million doses ready to distribute at the end of September,' Dr Mallory said in an interview. US officials had not expected vaccination to begin until mid-October.
The United States hopes to vaccinate 160 million Americans by the beginning of December.
The company has 5 million doses in spray devices now, a company spokeswoman said, adding that a more conservative estimate would be that 3.5 million doses could be sent out by the end of September.
Dr Mallory said the company was preparing details on how well the vaccine works.
Last week vaccine makers Novartis and China's Sinovac reported their vaccines got protective immune responses in patients with one dose. Infectious disease experts had feared people would need two doses to get full immunity against the virus because it is a new strain.
Earlier on Thursday, Thomas Lonngren, executive director of the European Medicines Agency, said early clinical trial results show swine flu vaccines being rushed through development produce a strong immune response.
Dr Mallory said he did not know if MedImmune's vaccine would work with a single dose. He noted that the company uses a weakened live virus, compared to the killed viruses used by other flu vaccine makers. Tests have shown MedImmune's live virus seasonal vaccine produces a stronger immune response than killed virus vaccines.
MedImmune has said it can produce about 200 million doses of its needle-free vaccine in bulk. But it can only deliver about 40 million doses of its product because it lacks the sprayers to squirt the vaccine into the nose.
Dr Mallory said company officials were working with the FDA to perfect a device to drip vaccines into the nose - technology that has been used with other vaccines. -- REUTERS
Wow, great thanks for your articles, Mr KK Lee. And the rest of you, for your interactivity!
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has secured supplies from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for one million doses of its Influenza A (H1N1) vaccine. They are expected for delivery by the end of this year. The cost of the GSK vaccine is comparable to the cost of normal seasonal flu vaccine, which ranges from $22 to $38. To those hoping to stay clear from the dreaded H1N1, rejoice!!
It's worth noticing that the H1N1 virus had not yet mutated into a more serious disease, according to an article from today's Today. Hope it'll continue to stay this way so that the vaccines will still come in useful towards the end of year..
oh dear, "H1N1 flu deaths climb past 2,800". Read this in CNA website.. It's not over yet...Will the vaccine be effective?
GENEVA: The World Health Organisation said Friday that at least 2,837 people had died from H1N1 flu since the new A(H1N1) virus was uncovered in April.
"There are now at least 2,837 deaths attributable to pandemic H1N1," said Gregory Hartl, spokesman for the UN health agency.
The data marked an increase of 652 deaths from the last toll of 2,185 published a week ago.
Hartl said the increase in the number of deaths is due to the overall rise in the number of people who have caught the A(H1N1) virus, and not because of the virus turning more virulent.
"In the sense of the virus having become more severe, no. It is just that the volume of cases is increasing," said Hartl.
The Americas region continues to report the largest number of deaths -- at 2,234.
The Asia-Pacific region reported 467 deaths, while Europe reported at least 104.
In the Middle East, 21 deaths were recorded while in Africa, 11 people succumbed to the infection.
Zimbabwe and Djibouti also reported their first cases of infections, said the WHO.
The UN health agency added that the pandemic virus "continues to be the predominant circulating virus of influenza" in both the northern and southern hemisphere.
According to its flu database, some 61.1 per cent of flu specimen cases have been found to be of the pandemic strain.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/health/view/1002947/1/.html
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