IT IS now safe for anyone above the age of 10 to be vaccinated against the Influenza A (H1N1) virus here.
And as a large number of patients hospitalised for H1N1 are in their teens or younger, health officials yesterday strongly recommended that they get shots from their family doctors or polyclinics.
They are at a higher risk of developing influenza-related complications, especially if they have pre-existing conditions like asthma heart disease, epilepsy, kidney disease, blood disorders or diabetes.
Parents of children under 10 will have to wait a little longer for news on whether it is safe get the H1N1 jab.
Of the two types of vaccine available here for adults, only the Panvax vaccine made by Australian pharmaceutical company CSL, has been cleared for use for young adults and children aged between 10 and 18. The other vaccine - Pandemrix by British company GlaxoSmithKline - is still not approved for under 18s here.
After studying the use of the Panvax vaccine in other countries health officials are satisfied that it is safe for the 10 to 18 age group the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said yesterday.
They will get the same dose as adults.
Dr John Lim, HSA s chief executive officer, said there may some side-effects just as with adults who have had their shots. These include pain at the site of the jab redness swelling fever and irritability.
"These side-effects are generally mild in nature and are also common with the seasonal flu," he said. Since the first death from the H1N1 virus here in mid July, 1,426 people have been hospitalised with the virus according to MOH data.
Those aged 10 to 19 make up nearly a fifth of these cases - the largest across all age groups. Those below 10 comprise the next biggest group.
A two-year old expatriate boy who had tested positive for the H1N1 virus died on Monday after just a day of fever
and cough.
The boy, who had no known underlying conditions died before reaching the hospital. If H1N1 is found to be the cause of the boy's death he will be the youngest casualty here.
But for now, the health authorities here are still not in favour of giving the Panvax vaccine to children under 10.
No other country has started using this vaccine on children under 10 yet and Singapore authorities, like their Australian counterparts are still reviewing this.
"We understand that there are parents who hope to vaccinate their young children before they go for holidays overseas or protect them even from local exposure but we think a cautious approach is still better," said Dr Lim.
"However, it is unlikely that very young children will be able to be vaccinated as even normal seasonal flu shots are not given to children younger than six months."
Some countries in the northern hemisphere such as the United States and Britain have already started vaccinating their young ahead of more complete data because of concerns that the coming winter will trigger a rash of H1N1 injections.
Singapore authorities feel it is more justified to have the relevant data for the vaccines available before deciding, explained Dr Lim.
Meanwhile, parents and caregivers are still urged to observe good hygiene practices to avoid crowded places and to see a doctor promptly when their child falls sick. For more information on the H1N1 vaccine, go to www.moh.gov.sg
MANY BELOW 18
This is the age breakdown of all the hospitalised H1N1 cases so far:
| Age group (years) |
No. |
% |
| Below 1 |
48 |
3.4 |
| 10-19 |
242 |
17 |
| 20-29 |
277 |
19.4 |
| 30-39 |
113 |
7.9 |
| 40-49 |
161 |
11.3 |
| 50-59 |
210 |
14.7 |
| 60-69 |
81 |
5.7 |
| 70-79 |
50 |
3.5 |
| 80 or older |
23 |
1.6 |
| All |
1,426 |
100 |
Source: MOH