Gripe porcina: Trinidad y Tobago lanza campaña de vacunación y Granada emite alerta
El gobierno de Trinidad y Tobago desarrolla una campaña de vacunación contra el virus H1N1, que rebrotó en el país caribeño con saldo de tres muertos y 29 contagiados, informó hoy la prensa local.
De acuerdo con el diario Newsday, el Ministerio de Salud comenzó a aplicar el medicamento en el sector de la salud y hasta la fecha recibieron la dosis 600 médicos, enfermeras y asistentes.
La campaña continuará después con los grupos de la población considerados de alto riesgo, que incluyen a los asmáticos, enfermos de artritis y reuma, embarazadas, niños menores de cinco años de edad y ancianos con más de 65 años.
El Estado aseguró que existen en los almacenes la cantidad suficiente de vacunas para inmunizar a todo el personal vulnerable, pero solicitará otras 20 mil cápsulas a la Organización Panamericana de la Salud para aplicarlas a quienes contraigan el virus.
Grenada on swine flu alert as neighbouring Trinidad records cases and deaths
Grenada’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. George Mitchell says the country’s disease surveillance system is on alert in light of confirmed cases of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus – also known as swine flu – in Trinidad and Tobago.
There were 29 confirmed cases of swine flu and three deaths in the twin-island republic up to December 15. There was also another suspected death over the weekend, according to Trinidad and Tobago media reports, but that has not been confirmed by health authorities.
Mitchell says the ministry has no choice but to keep its response and surveillance systems heightened to protect Grenadian citizens.
“Our choice at this time is the best choice – that is, to implement all necessary measures that are legal and in keeping with international conventions and protocols such as the International Health Regulations to protect our citizens as best as we can,” he said.
Grenadian health officials are also calling on all citizens to take all necessary steps and measures, including cough etiquette, regular hand-washing, and monitoring conditions of loved ones and friends if they display symptoms associated with the A (H1N1) virus to isolate them and prevent transmission as much as possible.
H1N1 symptoms include cough, fever, sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue.
Giving an update of the swine flu situation in Trinidad and Tobago last Friday, Minister Deyalsingh said that 20 of the 29 people who contracted swine flu were in the 20 to 64 age group which is considered the healthy population.
He said the authorities were doing all they could to combat the spread of the virus.
However, the minister said, while health workers were given the personal protective equipment to wear to minimize any risk of contamination, some were refusing to be vaccinated against the virus.
“That is the problem that we have,” he told the media. “We can urge, we can advise, we can educate as much as we want, but we cannot compel them. At the end of the day, it is a personal decision by health care workers to be vaccinated.”
Deyalsingh reported that the country currently has, and has access to more vaccines as well as drugs to treat swine flu.
