H1N1 influenza activity in Oman has crossed its "peak"

By Conrad Prabhu

10 January 2010

MUSCAT -- Pandemic H1N1 influenza activity in the Sultanate has crossed its "peak", with transmission levels currently on a downward trend, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The appraisal comes in the world body's latest update on pandemic influenza transmission trends around the globe. It lists Oman among only a handful of countries in the West Asian region, alongside Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan, which appear to have "passed the peak period of transmission" during the December period.

It warns however that "some active transmission" has been noted in West Asia, with levels of respiratory disease activity yet to return to baseline levels in the region. Health authorities in the Sultanate, while welcoming the WHO's assessment as heartening, say they will press on nevertheless with their ongoing surveillance and vaccination campaign against the pandemic. "Transmission levels are indeed falling, but we will not be lowering our guard anytime soon," an official said.

"With much of the globe still in the midst of winter, and given the cold weather conditions gripping large areas of North America, Europe and Asia, a new upsurge cannot be entirely ruled out. Furthermore, we would not want to take chances with a pandemic that has already claimed the lives of an unusually large number of young and healthy individuals around the world." Getting a vaccine shot, according to the official, is the best safeguard against the virus. The single-dose vaccine is now available to anyone -- Omani and expatriate under revised guidelines unveiled by the Health Ministry at the start of this year.

Expatriates and private individuals can receive their H1N1 jab at any of a dozen private healthcare institutions designated by the Ministry to provide pandemic vaccines to the public. Citizens and expatriate government employees can report to the nearest health centre for their vaccine shot. In the Sultanate, the pandemic has so far claimed 31 lives, including a disproportionately high number of young adults. Thirteen of the fatalities, representing 42 per cent of the total, involved young individuals in the 26-40-years age group. This contrasts with seasonal influenza, whose victims mainly involve young infants or the elderly with underlying health problems.

Besides killing two children (below six years), the H1N1 pandemic also contributed to the deaths of six youngsters in the 12-25-years age group (representing 20 per cent of the total). A further six people (19 per cent) falling in the 41-59-years segment succumbed to the virus, as did four others (13 per cent) in the 60-plus years category. The tally of fatalities corresponds broadly with demographic trends, say officials, with Omanis accounting for 87 per cent of the total and expatriate Indians making up the balance. Moreover, males and females account for a roughly 50-50 share of the total.

Significantly, a third of the victims (29 per cent) were generally healthy individuals with no underlying medical problems, officials point out. Taken together with the deaths involving pregnant women (10 per cent), tobacco use (10 per cent) and obesity (6 per cent), the statistics reveal that an alarming 55 per cent of the fatalities had no inherently serious medical conditions before they were infected by the H1N1 virus.

Diabetes and other immuno-compromised ailments were associated with the remainder 45 per cent of the deaths. "This peculiarity of the pandemic H1N1 influenza to cause death even among young adults and healthy individuals is a cause for concern that can only be addressed through vaccination. We are therefore urging everyone to get a shot at the earliest," the official added.

By Conrad Prabhu

© Oman Daily Observer 2010

Published in

http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20100110041122/H1N1%20transmission%20passes%20peak%20in%20Oman%20

H1N1 Vaccination Campaign Kicks Off in Oman

Ravindra Nath

26 October 2009

 MUSCAT — A state-run clinic in the Muscat governorate was the launchpad on Sunday for the region’s first countrywide immunisation campaign against H1N1.

The very first person to receive the single-dose injection at the Al Hail Health Centre was Dr Ahmed Al Saidi, Ministry of Health undersecretary. The next two people were Dr Jihane F Tawila, the WHO Representative in Oman, and Dr Mohammed Ali Jaffar, Adviser at the ministry. Later, groups of Haj pilgrims and medical staff were given the vaccine.

The government plans to innoculate all healthy people against the virus 
in phases. Twenty-four people have died of the infection and 2,400 
others have been infected with the virus in the sultanate.

Health Ministry officials clarified that people who had contracted the disease, confirmed by lab tests and were 
given medicine, need not take the 
injection. They also said that while the vaccine was not compulsory, “we are hopeful that everyone will get it for their own good and in the larger interests of the society”.

Haj pilgrims and frontline medical staff, people working in essential services, pregnant women, and patients with chronic diseases, children and adults will be given the vaccine in that order in phases.

Al Saidi said here at a press conference on Saturday that the target groups were selected on the basis of their vulnerability to the disease and to ensure “continuity in provision of essential and vital” health services.

The vaccine generally takes effect within eight to 10 days, but it may take up to two weeks in some cases.

Al Saidi, Tawila and Jaffar also answered questions about how safe was the newly-developed vaccine. The questions from mediapersons were, on the other hand, prompted by a wave of messages via mobile phones and warning people about the dangerous side-effects of the vaccine.

“Ignore the rumours… These vaccines are manufactured by international companies with proven record and are produced according to the different environmental conditions in various regions,” Al Saidi said, adding, “We don’t base our decisions and statements on rumours, but on the best interests of the community and the public.”

He said the vaccine had been 
used safely in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, China and Europe. It was found to be very effective against the 
virus; all the data and evidence indicated this, he added.

“In Oman, we accept only medicines or vaccines that are already tested and registered in their countries of origin… We have also set up a 24-hour hotline to clear any doubts that the public may have about the vaccine,” said Al Saidi, urging the media “to play its role in countering these baseless rumours”.

When pointed out that many parents had expressed reservations about vaccinating their children, Jaffar, the ministry advisor, said the vaccine was safe for children. “This is not the first time that we are vaccinating children… We don’t expect any harmful effects.”

“Rumours are spreading faster than epidemics,” observed Tawila, pointing out that hundreds of thousands of people in more than 15 countries had been vaccinated against H1N1 since September.

“Until now, WHO has not recorded a single case of any major complication… These vaccines are not different from the previous ones. They are produced the same way and by the same companies. We are not expecting any additional complications,” she added.

“There is no way,” Tawila stressed, “that policymakers in any country, especially Oman, will take a decision that is not safe for the entire population.” The ministry has set up a 24-hour hotline to clear the public’s doubts about the vaccine.

Last week, the Sultanate became the first country in the region to procure the anti-H1N1 vaccine with the arrival here of the first consignment of 100,000 doses of Novartis’ ‘Focetria’ vaccine.

The government has signed contracts with Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline to purchase a total of 2.6 million doses of the vaccine, bracing itself for a second wave of the infection during this winter as predicted by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

ravindranath@khaleejtimes.com

Published in

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/darticlen.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2009/October/middleeast_October666.xml§ion=middleeast&col=

Swine Flu total number of fatalities is now 21 in Oman

By Elsa Baxter

Sunday, 27 September 2009

Omani health officials have announced three new swine flu deaths in the last ten days, taking the total number of fatalities to 21.

The first death was a 26-year-old woman who was suffering from kidney failure, the Oman News Agency reported.

The second was an 89-year-old woman who had heart problems, diabetes and high blood pressure, while the third person was a 14-year-old cerebral palsy sufferer, the agency said.

Published in

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/568625-oman-reports-3-new-swine-flu-deaths

Oman Schools to Curb H1N1 Spread

Ravindra Nath

28 September 2009 MUSCAT — With the postponement of the start of the new academic year in more than a thousand government schools in Oman, following the swine flu outbreak, the Health and Education Ministry has clarified that the decision is not related to the arrival of the swine flu vaccine. The schools account for as many as 600,000 students.

Addressing a new conference here on Saturday, the ministry officials rejected claims, circulated via SMS, that the newly-developed vaccine had serious side-effects. The Sultanate expects to start receiving the vaccine from the end of next month. The virus has claimed 18 lives and infected more than 1,750 others so far.

The officials added that they have put in place various measures to check the spread of the infection. Among them, students suffering from chronic diseases, who are more prone to catching the swine flu virus, would only be allowed to attend classes from November 17.

Health Affairs Undersecretary Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saidi said the delay in the start of the new academic year and the decision to reopen schools in a phased manner was not connected to the arrival of the H1N1 vaccine into the country. He stressed that it was “a studied precautionary measure” to protect children from the infection.

The Education Ministry put off the reopening of schools twice — from 
August 29, the date was first postponed to September 26 and then to October 3-November 7 in stages. Classes for Grades XI and XII will resume on 
October 3, Grades VIII, IX and X 
from October 17, Grades V, VI and VII from October 31 and Grades I to IV from November 7.

The authorities have also drawn up procedures in case the infection is detected among pupils. If it is discovered in a class, the class will be closed for a week, and if found in more than one class, the entire school will shut for one week. “The infected students will be allowed to return to school only after they complete treatment for one whole week and after ensuring that he or she is free of the disease,” Saidi said.

Responding to a question on messages being circulated about the alleged hazards of the vaccine, he said: “These messages are false and the side-effects are very limited.” He noted that no deaths had been reported due to the vaccine from any of the European countries and China where the vaccine had been tested.

“Only some minor side-effects, usually associated with vaccines, have been recorded,” the Undersecretary added. Oman has signed agreements with a number of multinational pharmaceutical firms for the supply of the vaccine. The first consignment is due to reach here in the middle of October.”

Dr. Muna Bint Salem Al Jardaniyah, Education and Curricula Undersecretary at the Education Ministry, said 
the phased opening of schools was aimed at ensuring safety of the students and it would be implemented “wisely and carefully”.

She said that other measures taken by the ministry as part of a preventive strategy include avoiding large gathering of pupils on the first day of school and staggered recesses. She added that revised curricula were being finalised for different classes because of the school year having been shortened.

“The ministry will cancel all activities and events that require large gathering of students. School activities will be designed in a way to ensure raising awareness among students about the disease and focus on academic rather than extra-curricular activities,” Muna said, and called upon ‘financially-able’ parents to arrange transportation for their wards to and from school, thus reducing crowding in school buses.

She urged authorities in each school to prepare lists of children suffering from chronic diseases and advise them not to return to their classes before November 17, the last date set for the phased reopening of schools. Most of the 18 people who died due to H1N1 in the country were patients of chronic ailments such as diabetes, kidney failure and cancer and heart disorders.

Muna said students would be asked to directly go to their classes upon 
their arrival at school, instead of gathering for the morning assembly. She added that heads of schools had been instructed to work in close co-ordination with health authorities in their respective regions.

ravindranath@lkhaleejtimes.com

Published in

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/darticlen.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2009/September/middleeast_September637.xml§ion=middleeast&col=