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WHILE Singapore may be running low on a vaccine that protects against three strains of flu circulating here, it has doses aplenty of a version that protects against only the pandemic H1N1 bug.
And since half the flu cases here are caused by this particular strain, the Ministry of Health (MOH) is advising Singaporeans to opt for this vaccine instead.
Noting that H1N1 is responsible for more severe illnesses and deaths, the MOH has advised those at risk, such as the very young, the elderly and those with underlying illnesses, to protect themselves.
In a statement, the ministry said: “The vaccine is recommended especially for persons who have risk factors such as asthma, diabetes, gross obesity, low immunity or those who are pregnant, which put them at higher risk of developing complications.
“It is also recommended for persons between the ages of 6 months to five years and those above 65 years of age.”
The ministry bought 1.3 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine last year, when fears of a dangerous pandemic were running high. Soon after that, however, the threat receded, and as a result, there are still 850,000 doses of the vaccine left.
Though the threat from H1N1 is greatly reduced, it is still claiming the lives of those at risk.
Just last month, a 49-year-old man with a history of hypertension, heart problems and diabetes succumbed to H1N1.
So far, the disease has claimed 26 lives. Another 113 patients have needed care in a hospital intensive care unit.
The two other flu strains that are in circulation now are the H3N2 and B ones.
Most people have thus opted for a vaccine which protects against all three circulating strains, and stocks of this are running low.
Polyclinics and public hospitals are totally out of stock and are unsure if more are forthcoming as there is a worldwide shortage of the vaccine.
The H1N1 vaccine costs $17 at polyclinics, down from about $29 when it first arrived in November last year.
The MOH call for more people to get vaccinated was echoed by Dr Lim Poh Lian, senior infectious disease consultant at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, who said: “We are still in our peak flu season. We are still seeing serious cases in hospitals.”
Flu activity has been high the past two months, with 14,000 to 18,000 turning up at polyclinics each week with acute respiratory infection (ARI), which includes the common cold.
Although this is one of two annual peaks here – the other being at the end of the year – the numbers this time are noticeably higher than last year’s.
The number of ARI cases in four out of the past eight weeks has hit epidemic levels, defined as 16,774 per week or higher.
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