ADDITIONAL STOCKS of the seasonal flu vaccine, which this year includes protection against the swine flu virus, have been ordered by the Health Service Executive, it was confirmed yesterday.
Dr Kevin Kelleher, head of health protection with the HSE, said about 650,000 doses of the seasonal flu vaccine had been delivered in September and most of it had now been used up. About 30,000 further doses of the vaccine have been ordered and these are “in the course of being delivered”, he said.
He denied there was any shortage of seasonal flu vaccine. If GPs ran out of it they could order more, he said.
Meanwhile, people have been urged to go to their GP rather than turning up at hospital emergency departments with flu-like symptoms. The pressure on the emergency department of Galway’s University College Hospital was so intense yesterday that about 25 patients due to have elective surgery today have had their operations postponed.
Cases of influenza-like illness and swine flu have been increasing in recent weeks. During Christmas week some 91 cases of the H1N1 virus were detected by the national virus reference laboratory which was more than double the number detected the previous week.
A total of 36 people were hospitalised with swine flu up to December 30th and five patients had to be admitted to intensive care. There was also an outbreak of swine flu at Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital before Christmas as well as one in a school. Dr Kelleher said all those in at-risk groups, including pregnant women and those with chronic conditions, were advised to get the vaccine. It was not too late to avail of the seasonal flu vaccine if those in at-risk groups had not got it already, he added.
He said infection rates to date were highest among babies to four year olds and five to 14 year olds which is at it was last year and earlier this year during the swine flu pandemic. However consultation rates with GPs for influenza-like illness were 10 times higher last year when the pandemic was at its height than they are now.
Some 36 deaths from swine flu have been reported in England so far this winter. All but one occurred in people under 65 years. In addition 738 people in England have been admitted to intensive care with flu.
There have been no deaths from swine flu in the Republic and admissions to intensive care have been “relatively low”. Dr Kelleher said its likely this is because about a quarter of the Irish population was vaccinated during the pandemic compared to just 10 per cent in England.
Asked if stocks of the pandemic vaccine left over from last year could now be used instead of the seasonal flu vaccine Dr Kelleher said the advice from the National Immunisation Advisory Comm-ittee was that the seasonal flu vaccine should be used as it also contained protection against other viruses in circulation including the H3N2 and B strains of flu.
He stressed that for most people swine flu is a self limiting illness and they can look after themselves at home by taking plenty of fluids and paracetamol.