CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – THE Ministry of Health in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is working to acquire the H1N1 vaccine even as the second wave of the virus appears with the onset of the influenza season.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Patrick Martin told a press conference at the Disaster Management Building on Wednesday (Oct. 21) that the Ministry expects to release more definitive information about the vaccine’s availability and distribution during November. He said although there is an assurance that all countries would receive the vaccine, it must be recognised that the manufacturing countries would take care of their own people before distributing.
“We are a non-vaccine manufacturing country…so we have to rely on the extensive resources and capacities of the World Health Organisation.”
Dr. Martin said Caribbean countries are expected to meet in the first week in November to examine the vaccine’s safety, its efficacy, its affordability and the surveillance that would take place after the vaccine’s administration would have started. He described these measures as four very important standards…”because, although we strongly recommend the vaccination there is no such thing as a vaccine that is all things to all people”.
According to Dr. Martin, “These are man-made technologies, so there are side effects.”
He revealed however that persons 60 years and older have significant natural protection against the pandemic H1N1after they were exposed to a component or components of the virus in the years prior to 1950. High risk groups include pregnant women, persons with underlying medical conditions such as asthma and uncontrolled diabetes, obese persons and children up to age 14.
The CMO said the influenza season for St. Kitts and Nevis and the rest of the hemisphere has started earlier than the usual intense months of January and February, and that the new H1N1 influenza is the predominant circulating influenza virus.
This is evidenced by the reports by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) of “a high intensity of acute respiratory disease” in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The Caribbean Epidemiology Center (CAREC) is also reporting increased acute respiratory illnesses in the region.
Dr. Martin said there is no need for alarm however, as the health system stands mobilised to not only disseminate authoritative information to the public via the local media but also to continue sending the message out in reference to health promotions and prevention of virus transmission from person to person; and to provide timely and effective management of persons with severe disease guided by international best practices.
The CMO also urged the public to practice good nutrition and hydration, adequate rest and exercise, cleanliness and to cultivate a positive mental attitude, for they are ways of helping the body to fight influenza and other diseases.
He also sent a reminder that to prevent virus spread, one should “cover your cough and sneeze” with absorbent tissue, discard the tissue in a bin, and then wash your hands with soap and water.
Dr. Martin, who was accompanied by Dr. Judy Nisbett and Director of Disaster Management Lester Blackette, pointed out that media reports could be distressing. He said an effective way to deal with that is to turn such news off. He advised that it is best to obtain information from authoritative sources.
“The Ministry of Health recommends the public’s use of the websites of the PAHO/WHO, CAREC, CDC, Health Canada, and the UK Health Promotion Agency. High quality radio and television international coverage is available from the BBC, PBS, and C-SPAN, which are known for their fair, balanced and objective approach to news collection, analysis and dissemination.”
The first wave of the H1N1 virus started in Mexico and the southern United States in mid-April 2009 and spread rapidly around the globe within three weeks. During that first wave there were five confirmed cases in the Federation with one death, due to an underlying medical condition.
