Vaccine on way for health workers

Frontline health workers could be immunised against swine flu within months after the Government ordered 300,000 vaccine doses from a United States drug company.

Up to 150,000 hospital, emergency and primary health care workers will receive two doses of the Baxter Healthcare vaccine, which Health Minister Tony Ryall said would be in New Zealand within a month.

However, licensing hurdles mean the vaccine would not be offered to workers until December unless it was fast-tracked.

The Health Ministry said vaccinating health workers would help ease the strain that swine flu has put on health services, which have been hit by increased hospital admissions and staff absences.

More than 30 Wellington Hospital staff have tested positive for the virus and others have taken leave to care for ill family members.

The Government also has a contract with Australian company CSL to supply eight million doses of its vaccine.

Deputy director of public health Fran McGrath said the ministry decided to place the second order when it became clear the Australian vaccine would not be ready for several months.

"This vaccine is going to be available earlier."

The vaccine would not be offered to the general population.

If the virus suddenly mutated and became more aggressive, the licensing process for both vaccines could be cut to weeks rather than months, Dr McGrath said.

She would not say how much the vaccine cost.

New Zealand's swine flu tally climbed to 1059 yesterday.

Three people have died from the virus, including an eight-year-old girl with underlying health problems, who died in Wellington Hospital on Saturday.

The two others who died also had underlying conditions.

Zachary Wilson, 19, tested positive for swine flu after dying at home in Hamilton on June 28.

He had asthma and a Waikato district health board spokeswoman said this may have made his flu more acute.

Bob Hancox, Asthma and Respiratory Foundation medical director, said people with asthma and other respiratory illnesses should take extra care with their health.

A Christchurch man, 42, who died at home last Thursday had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, his family said.

A 17-year-old Wellington girl in hospital with swine flu was in a stable condition yesterday after being critically ill.

She had no underlying health problems.

A woman swine flu patient, 30, at Wellington Hospital, who had respiratory problems and was morbidly obese, was also in a serious but stable condition.

A man, 29, with no underlying health problems was in intensive care at Gisborne Hospital with respiratory problems and possibly had swine flu, the hospital said.