Demand for swine flu vaccine up

The spate of swine flu deaths in June seems to have led to a marginal increase in demand for the H1N1 vaccine among doctors, who were earlier reluctant to get inoculated.

The spate of swine flu deaths in June seems to have led to a marginal increase in demand for the H1N1 vaccine among doctors, who were earlier reluctant to get inoculated.

HT Image

At least 91 doctors and staffers at Sion Hospital alone got themselves vaccinated in the past three days. Many others have been vaccinated at Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli.

In the first ten days of June, only 50 medical personnel had taken the vaccine because they were uncertain of its need and feared side effects.

This week, around 230 doses of the vaccine were also collected by hospitals such as MT Agarwal, Sushrusha and Hinduja for vaccination of their staff. “Doctors have been showing more interest in taking the vaccine in the last few days,” said Dr Mangala Gomare, BMC's immunisation programme in-charge.

Dr G T Ambe, executive health officer of the BMC, said more doctors were screening and treating suspected swine flu patients. The state had received 34,300 doses from the Centre in April. Only around 2000 health professionals in the state have opted for the vaccine so far.