Prevention a great policy

ROBERT KITCHIN/The Dominion Post

FOR THE BEST: Albert Nepia holds son Jahmayne Nepia (3yrs) while he looks suspicious of the nurse and needle.

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The campaign to protect pregnant women, the morbidly obese and vulnerable children aged six months to five years against swine flu swung into gear in the MidCentral Health region this week.

"They were the groups that tended to become most unwell last season," said immunisation co-ordinator Deb Winiata.

Frontline health workers out in the community were among the first to take up offers of free vaccination against H1N1 last week, with the public and hospital workers getting their chance to have the single-strain jab this week.

Ms Winiata said about 350 community health workers had been vaccinated so far in anticipation of an early start to the pandemic influenza season.

They all have to come back for a second dose of the Celvapan vaccine three weeks after the first.

It will be next month before the seasonal vaccine that includes protection against swine flu and two other flu strains is available for everyone else, including people aged over 65.

For those people who are eligible for the earlybird vaccine, clinics are being held on a drop-in basis, with general practices able to advise patients on whether they qualify.

The clinic continues in Palmerston North at Health on Main today before moving out to the Otaki Medical Centre and Horowhenua Health Centre tomorrow, the Dannevirke Community Hospital and Tararua PHO in Pahiatua on Thursday, and the Clevely Health Centre in Feilding and Salvation Army church centre in Foxton on Friday.

- © Fairfax NZ News