Swine flu vaccine offered to those at risk

The vaccine to protect against swine flu is being offered to at-risk people in Whangarei.

Northland District Health Board medical officer of health Jonathan Jarman says swine flu is predicted to hit earlier than the usual flu season so the vaccine has been made available sooner.

The first stage of the two- stage national vaccination programme started last week with health workers, pregnant women, those with chronic and respiratory illness and some children aged under five being offered the vaccine.

The usual autumn seasonal influenza vaccine programme will start next month which will include protection against swine flu.

"These pandemics normally come back in a second wave and we are not sure if this one is going to be early," Dr Jarman says.

Last year 56 Northlanders were hospitalised with severe H1N1 swine flu. There were no deaths. However 20 people died nationwide.

Dr Jarman says there is no way to predict exactly when or how severe the next wave of the virus will be. But using what was learnt last year health professionals can try to protect against it, which is why the vaccine is available early to those most vulnerable.

"A lot of people will probably wait for the seasonal influenza vaccine which is going to be available in March.

"But if people are worried about an early resurgence of swine flu then the February pandemic influenza vaccine will be the vaccine for them."

Dr Jarman says it is possible the swine flu virus may change to a point where the vaccine doesn’t work, but this hasn’t happened overseas.

- © Fairfax NZ News