Health Ministry to vaccinate some 50,000 people

May 09, 2009 News

The Ministry of Health will soon be embarking on a massive campaign to vaccinate approximately 50,000 Guyanese against seasonal influenza.

However, this vaccine does not prevent against contracting the H1N1 virus commonly called the Swine Flu.

At a press conference, yesterday, Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, said that children under one year old and the elderly would be targeted for this campaign.

He explained that although the vaccine does not guard against Swine Flu, it helps those who are already infected with seasonal influenza.

“It has been shown that for persons who have mixed infections, the severity of the illness is greater as well as the mortality so we are ensuring that the vulnerability is reduced.”

All elderly patients in hospitals will be provided with vaccines against the seasonal flu. Those in the Palms will also be vaccinated, while the Ministry of Human Services will assist those elderly who collect their pension every month.

The Ministry has close to 20,000 doses of Tamiflu medication, which treats swine flu in stock while arrangements are being made for another 10,000.

Minister Ramsammy debunked some media reports that the Ministry had quarantined five persons who were suspected to have the virus.

He noted that these persons were being monitored and they were not quarantined.

“We had no reason to quarantine anyone. But as we always do as part of our vigilance that we have in terms of surveillance at such times, we monitor people to make sure and these are persons who work very collaboratively with us and understand what the issues are.”

Dr. Ramsammy noted that this monitoring would continue to build Guyana’s security blanket by monitoring all the ports of entry, such as the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), borders and wharfs.

Persons entering Guyana will be monitored for fever and flu.

The ports of entry surveillance will include the airlines and ships submitting Aircraft and Ship Health Declaration, as the Health Ministry will rigidly implement the International Health Regulations (IHR) requirement.

The Ministry of Health has also heightened its health facilities surveillance, as every health facility must report all fever cases, while a special unit has been established to follow the cases.