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International
People travelling to the Southern Hemisphere, including the World Cup in South Africa, should be vaccinated against swine ‘flu to prevent them from catching the virus, and from bringing it back. The Southern Hemisphere ‘flu season is expected to start shortly and vaccination will reduce the risk to travellers.
People travelling to the Southern Hemisphere, including the World Cup in South Africa, should be vaccinated against swine ‘flu to prevent them from catching the virus, and from bringing it back. The Southern Hemisphere ‘flu season is expected to start shortly and vaccination will reduce the risk to travellers.
New cases of pandemic H1N1 (2009) influenza in communities in England remain at around their lowest level since the disease first appeared in the United Kingdom. Patients continue to be hospitalised and admitted to critical care facilities, though numbers remain small. There have been 10 more confirmed deaths in England attributable to pandemic H1N1 (2009) influenza since our last bulletin. Further deaths from the last few months are still being investigated.
The pandemic H1N1 (2009) vaccination programme is still being delivered: front line health and social care staff; highest priority groups (those with underlying illness and pregnant women); and healthy children aged 6 months to under 5 years.
In accordance with the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) the monovalent pandemic H1N1 (2009) vaccine is now available as a travel vaccine for the protection of travellers to Southern Hemisphere countries.
The Southern Hemisphere ‘flu season is expected to start shortly and vaccination will reduce the risk of travellers, including those heading to the football World Cup in South Africa, catching the disease whilst abroad and bringing the virus back into the UK. Prof. David Salisbury, Director of Immunisation, has today written to General Practitioners providing guidance on this issue.
In the UK, it is highly likely that the pandemic H1N1 (2009) virus will be the predominant influenza strain in the 2010/ 2011 influenza season. Vaccination now will protect individuals against the disease and its complications when it returns later in the year.
Commenting on the latest situation, Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for England said:
“The next ‘flu season in the Southern Hemisphere will be starting soon and the pandemic ‘flu virus is expected to return. Travellers should protect themselves by getting the vaccine well before they travel. Those attending the World Cup in South Africa in June should also take advantage of the protection the vaccine can offer.”
Source: NDS
