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Punjab health dept starts process to set up swine flu corners; vaccine yet to be procured
The high-risk healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses and nodal officers, were to be vaccines ahead of the swine flu season. The flu centres, or the isolation centres, will be ready within a week.
Though the Punjab health department on Wednesday ordered the district headquarters to set up flu corners, it is yet to procure vaccines for swine flu. The staff of the department are yet to be vaccinated as well.
The high-risk healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses and nodal officers, were to be vaccines ahead of the swine flu season. The flu centres, or the isolation centres, will be ready within a week.
Dr Manmeet Kaur, state nodal officer, swine flu control programme, confirmed that no health care worker had been vaccinated so far and discussions were still underway to purchase vaccines.
The state has started reporting sporadic cases of the flu, which has a mortality rate of which is around 15 to 20%, according to experts.
According to the data provided by National Centre for Disease Control programme, Punjab had reported 203 swine flu cases and 42 deaths in 2022, a mortality rate to 20.68%.
A senior official of the health department said that season had already started and vaccines were not available to administer to the high risk health workers.
“Vaccines to the medical staff are ideally administered one month before the season starts as the human body requires 21 days to make anti-bodies after the shot is administered,” said the official quoted above.
According to reports, various health workers have expressed disappointment over the lack of vaccines for them.
“So much money is being spent by the government on health, but they couldn’t arrange swine flu vaccines for their staff,” said a civil surgeon, requesting not to be named.
In an advisory on September 29, the Union government had recommended the Southern Hemisphere 2024 quadrivalent vaccine for the influenza season. However, the state health department is still looking for suppliers to purchase the vaccine from.
“If SH 2024 influenza vaccine is not available, then it is recommended to procure latest available quadrivalent influenza vaccine,” the advisory added.
“The paramedical staff at flu corners should be wearing mask and gloves while dealing with patients having Influenza like Illnesses symptoms. They should also be well versed with guidelines for H1N1 (swine flu) along with categories, sign, symptoms and complications of the same for triaging,” a state health department advisory regarding the flu reads.
