The public health ministry plans to give free A(H1N1) flu shots to two million people in five risk groups including women who are more than three months pregnant, persons weighing over 100 kg, the disabled, persons with chronic diseases and public health personnel.

More than 125,000–less than ten percent of the targeted number of two million recipients—were vaccinated voluntarily from January 11 to 29, said Public Health Minister Jurin on Thursday after conferring with senior local health officials across the country via tele-conference.

The northeastern province of Nong Bua Lam Phu recorded the fewest recipients for the shots with only 15.

The ministry will step up its public relations campaign to encourage more people to join the vaccination programme, which will run through March.

No new fatalities related to Influenza Type A(H1N1) occurred during the past week, according to the Public Health Ministry weekly report on January 27. The country’s total swine flu death toll stands at 198. (TNA)

In the first case of a pregnant woman at Bangkok’s Vajira Hospital, the fetal death occurred five days after its mother received the vaccine, but the mother had earlier experienced miscarriages twice.

The third miscarriage is not involved the vaccination as the unborn baby had brain haemorrhage five days later. It did not happen immediately after the mother was injected.

Another case of miscarriage in Satun found that the unborn baby weighed only 1,000 grammes and the miscarriage is related to the mother’s record of smoking marijuana.

Dr Opas Karngawinphong, director of the Bureau of General Communicable Diseases, said medical workers continued giving A(H1N1) shots to high-risk groups.

Citing to a result of a Monday’s meeting of a subcommittee related to the Influenza Type A(H1N1), Dr Opas
added that the vaccines could still boost immunity against the virus as usual.

Currently, only one person is suffering from a side effect, having difficulty breathing after the inoculation.

If any persons are allergic to the vaccines, the medical staff must closely monitor condition and determine the
cause of allergies and whether it is related to the vaccine, Dr Opas ordered. (TNA)

According to the Disease Control Department Director-General, MD Manit Teeratantikanont, people should not be reckless with the flu spread. He said any areas with more than a 5% infection rate could be at risk of an Influenza A(H1N1) flu infection and should be under close watch. Hospitals are advised to monitor patients with flu infection closely as well.

The director-general admitted that at present there were not many people coming to receive H1N1 flu vaccine as people perceived that the virus spread had become less serious. He then warned the public that the flu could rebound and spread further.

People in the five risk groups are also urged to get the vaccination at the nearest hospital, free of charge. The risk groups are medical staff, women who are at least three months pregnant, overweight people, the disabled, and those sickened with chronic diseases.

The 3Es campaign, standing for Eating proportionately, Exercising, and Emotional control, is aimed at combating the new flu and other diseases in winter. Health Department Director-General, Dr Somyot Charoensak, said the campaign would help the public prevent themselves more effectively from the second phase of the H1N1 virus spread, especially children and teenagers who lacked immunity.

He said people should to eat vegetable, protein, and rice in the appropriate proportion of 2:1:1. Routine exercise is also recommended to maintain fitness and strengthen the immunity system. They should also be happy and have enough sleep, the doctor said.

Dr Somyot added the 3Es campaign would air its 30-second advertisement on television soon.

According to Chairperson of the subcommittee on medical and public health strategies, MD Prasert Thongcharoen, lab results confirm that the virus is less active since October. It has been reported earlier in November that five million Thai people have immunity against the virus while the death toll remains at 184.

The phase two of the flu outbreak is expected in December due to a drop in temperature that will help the virus survive longer. Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said the ministry would expedite the production of anti-H1N1 vaccines, assuring that patients would get quicker access to treatments in order to reduce the death rate.

The first lot of one million doses of H1N1 inactivated vaccines is expected to arrive in Thailand in December and patients can be vaccinated from January 2010 onwards. Patients outside Bangkok will receive the vaccines first because they are less immune and are likely to spread the virus more quickly.

Acting Permanent Secretary for Public Health, Dr Paichit Varachit, said that five groups of people prioritized for getting the first lot of H1N1 vaccines include doctors, the autistics, people with respiratory diseases, people with infectious disease, and obese people.

According to GPO Chairperson MD Vichai Chokewiwat, the vaccine study is proceeding well. The researchers are currently waiting for the result of immunity creation and stimulation in laboratory mice, which is expected to come out by 4 October. Meanwhile, the test result of vaccine safety with laboratory mice were satisfying.

At present, MD Vichai said Thailand could produce an adequate amount of vaccine or 7.3 log for the actual H1N1 vaccine production and would be in time to be tested with humans on 9 October. The chairperson also admitted budget constraints in purchasing eggs used for vaccine production, but the matter will be discussed between the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Agricultural and Cooperatives accordingly.

Prevention and control subcommittee chair Paijit told reporters after meeting representatives of 16 involved agencies that the agreed to form four smaller panels to address the impact of the virus in four aspects.

–The first committee is responsible for virus prevention in communities as the information showed that the disease had spread in provinces. This committee would be supervised by Interior Ministry.

–The second panel will monitor the mutation of the virus in both humans and animals, the cross-breeding of flu varieties, and drug resistant virus. The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will head the panel while Sciences and Technology, Public Health Ministries and educational institutions will play supportive roles.

–The third committee would target the tourism industry, to rebuild confidence among foreign visitors to Thailand. Ministry of Tourism and Sports will take responsibility.

–The last committee will monitor internet cafes, dormitories, prisons, military bases, and factories to reduce the number of infected patients.

The committees will meet again next week to report the progress of their tasks under their responsibilities, said Dr Paijit.

The Public Health Ministry on Wednesday confirmed 11 new deaths from Influenza Type A(H1N1), bringing the country’s total death toll to 130.

The ministry reported that the outbreak in Bangkok and nearby provinces has decreased, but continues to spread in the provinces, particularly in the countryside in the Northeast and the North.

Patients with the H1N1 virus in the two regions now amounted to two-thirds of all those affected, Dr Paijit said.

However, the number of patients infected with all kinds of flu, who have received medical treatment at hospitals nationwide, has fallen from 18,000 daily in July to 9,000 in August, with 52 per cent living in the countryside. (TNA)

The Ministry of Public Health on Wednesday confirmed 14 new Influenza Type A (H1N1) fatalities from August 9-15, raising the country’s official total death toll to 111.

Dr Kawee Chaisiri, director of Maharaj Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital, said the 37-year old pregnant woman had contracted the A(H1N1) virus and had been under treatment at the hospital for about two weeks.

She died Wednesday afternoon, Dr Kawee said, adding that she was the first pregnant woman in the province who died of the new A(H1N1) virus.

The hospital director said the medical team was able to save the woman’s premature infant by caesarean section delivery, but that the 28-week baby weighs only 1,300 grammes and must remain in an incubator under close medical surveillance.

Dr Kawee said that laboratory test result confirmed the baby has not contracted the A(H1N1) from the mother.

The doctor added that six A(H1N1) patients remain in care in the hospital in critical condition, among them a 23-year-old woman who is 24-weeks pregnant.

Meanwhile, Dr Vichai Chokewiwat, chairman of the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO), said on Thursday that health-concerned Thai agencies will meet via teleconference with World Health Organization (WHO) specialists about A(H1N1) vaccine production in the kingdom Thursday night.

Dr Vichai said that the Thai officials earlier reported to WHO regarding technical problems and obstacles of vaccine production here and will follow recommendations of the WHO for the next process of vaccine production.

The GPO is worried that the amount of virus cultured and grown in hen eggs imported from Germany provided lower yields than earlier targeted, and that may delay the clinical trials scheduled for September 4. (TNA)

Mr. Manit said the ministry had prepared measures to deal with another round of swine flu outbreak in the Kingdom. He added that the Government Pharmaceutical Organization (GPO) had been assigned to take charge of the vaccine production which met international standards and study Oseltamivir resistance.

According to the deputy minister, swine flu patients will be quarantined for only 3 to 5 days instead of 7 days.

The five recommendations are high fever with headache, high fever and loss of appetite, high fever with body ache, high fever with chest pain, and high fever with diarrhea or vomit.

The prime minister said during his weekly television and radio address that although the number of virus patients in Bangkok has started to decline, the number of patients upcountry is increasing.

The disease does not occur in Thailand alone but is happening everywhere in the world, and the number of fatalities is rising on several continents including South America, Australia and Asia, he said. If the public follows these recommendations it could help solve the problem.

The Thai Health Promotion Foundation has prepared a website, www.flu2009thailand.com, which will provide vital information as well as urging the public to help fight against the disease, said Mr. Abhisit. (TNA)