Irish at-risk patients to get two shots of swine flu vaccine

ONLY ONE dose of vaccine is needed for protection against H1N1 flu, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said yesterday.

However, Irish health authorities still plan to give two shots of the vaccine to patients when the swine flu vaccination campaign for certain groups of patients begins on Monday.

The Department of Health is aware of the WHO’s recommendation and is monitoring the advice of the relevant organisations, a spokesman said yesterday.

From Monday, the vaccine will be offered to at-risk patients throughout the State.

Health experts around the world have been debating whether one or two shots are necessary to protect against swine flu.

The number of doses required is key to estimating how many vaccines are needed in total.

About 200,000 doses of swine flu vaccine have been dispatched to GPs, who will get the same amount again over the next two weeks.

A further 100,000 doses will be available at HSE clinics.

There are 400,000-500,000 patients in the at-risk group.

If the Department of Health decides that at-risk groups only require one dose, the vaccine will then start to go to healthcare workers and children.

If they continue to require two doses most vaccine available in the country up to the end of the year will be given to at-risk groups only.

The WHO also said yesterday that the vaccinations have so far proved to be safe.

The Department of Health last week insisted that it was satisfied about the safety of the vaccines being offered here after concerns were raised.

The WHO yesterday said that the vaccines were similar to the seasonal flu jab.

“All the reports received to date following vaccination – either in clinical trials or in mass vaccination campaigns – have shown that the safety profile of these pandemic vaccines is good,” said Marie-Paule Kieny of the WHO.

The Department of Health has said that cases in the community had increased again in the past week to 210 cases per 100,000 of the population, up from 158.8 per 100,000 the previous week.

Ten deaths have to date taken place in the Republic due to swine flu. – (Additional reporting: Reuters)