EFFORTS TO contain the spread of swine flu in the Republic will cease in a week’s time in the light of the growing numbers of cases of the virus here, it was announced yesterday.
The move, which mirrors the change in strategy adopted in Northern Ireland earlier this week and in the UK last week, will mean those who have been in contact with confirmed cases of influenza A(H1N1) will no longer be traced and offered precautionary antiviral treatment.
Instead efforts will focus on treating new cases as they arise and patients with symptoms who are deemed to require the antiviral drug Tamiflu, will be given it free of charge, whether they are public or private patients.
Announcing the change Dr Tony Holohan, chief medical officer at the Department of Health, said most cases of swine flu to date in developed countries were mild and would probably recover without any medical intervention. It is therefore likely Tamiflu will not be given to all positive cases here in future.
Latest figures show 11 further cases of swine flu were confirmed here yesterday including three further cases of the virus being transmitted within the country, bringing the total number of cases confirmed to date to 104.
A total of nine cases of so called “in country transmission” have occurred to date though these have all been in close contacts of confirmed cases. Dr Holohan said there had been no sporadic cases confirmed and of all cases, three required hospitalisation. All recovered.
Of the 104 cases confirmed just four were aged over 65 years.
When the Department of Health shifts its strategy in relation to the virus from “containment” to “mitigation” next week daily updates on the spread of the virus will no longer be provided.
Asked how many cases might be expected as the virus spreads Prof Bill Hall, chair of the Irish influenza pandemic expert group, said nobody knew the answer. However he expects a significant increase in cases when the winter season begins and when schools return. He added that to date the virus has remained “a very stable” but it was of concern that there had been three cases of resistance to Tamiflu reported in Japan, China and Denmark.
Dr Holohan said the World Health Organisation (WHO) had asked countries earlier this week to begin to reflect “on the appropriate timing of a change from containment to mitigation”.
The HSE’s head of health protection Dr Kevin Kelleher said GPs, hospitals and pharmacists will be advised of the change and guidelines would be issued on how to treat the condition. Antivirals would also be available locally from now on, he confirmed.
He also confirmed that more than 7 million doses of vaccine against the swine flu had been ordered – each person will require two doses – and the first batches are due to arrive at the end of August. He stressed though that at risk groups like the elderly would also need to get the annual seasonal flu vaccine.
More than 94,000 cases of swine flu and more than 400 deaths from the virus have been reported to the WHO, which declared the spread of swine flu a pandemic on June 11th. In Britain 14 people who contracted the virus have died.