THE EUROPEAN Commission yesterday authorised two H1N1 swine flu vaccines – one of which is to be used in Ireland – paving the way for mass vaccinations before the start of the flu season.
The two drugs are Pandemrix, which is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline and is to be used in this State, and Focetria, which is manufactured by Novartis.
The commission’s approval means the vaccines will shortly be available in the 27 EU countries, as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The vaccines are expected to be licensed for use in early October.
A mass vaccination programme with the pandemic vaccine is expected to be announced by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in late October. However, the start date will depend on how quickly the supplies of vaccines can be brought into Ireland.
The HSE plans to set up 60-100 mass vaccination clinics once the vaccine is licensed and delivered.
The HSE has indicated that the vaccine will be offered to everyone but will begin with people with long-term medical conditions and healthcare workers.
The HSE has also ordered vaccines from another vaccine manufacturer, Baxter. This vaccine has not yet received regulatory approval but the company expects this to happen shortly.
Governments and drugmakers have been scrambling for vaccines to combat the new H1N1 flu strain before a feared second wave of infection hits the northern hemisphere in the winter.
In a statement the commission said its announcement “should ensure that sufficient vaccines will be available before the start of the flu season and will reduce the risks for illnesses and deaths for European citizens”.
Infection figures from the Department of Health last week indicated a marked increase in the number of people affected by swine flu. The latest figures would equate to about 3,300 cases of infection a week.
In a separate development, the first case of the A/H1N1 swine flu has been found in a pig herd in the Republic, the Department of Agriculture said last night, writes Seán Mac Connell, Agriculture Correspondent.
It said a pig herd had tested positive for the disease which it said was mild in pigs and the most likely source of transmission to the herd was an infected human.
The department emphasised that the disease had low impact on pig production and no significance as regards food safety.
“This is not an unexpected event given the widespread occurrence of the pandemic virus in humans and the possibility for occasional transmission from humans to pigs,” the statement said.
It said in recent months the A/H1N1/2009 has been detected in pigs in Canada, Australia, Argentina and more recently in Northern Ireland where there were three cases. The department has recommended that increased biosecurity measures on pig farms be implemented, and that a code of practice for pig producers be adhered to.
