Fiji to receive H1N1 flu vaccines

Updated November 17, 2009 13:32:00

The World Health Organisation in Fiji will receive a batch of vaccines in December to help protect against the H1N1 flu virus. Since the initial reports of the H1N1 2009 influenza pandemic, the virus has spread worldwide. The W-H-O will distribute the vaccine to Pacific Island countries. It is hoped this will protect people from the second wave of the virus which is spreading in the northern hemisphere.

Presenter: Kate McPherson
Speaker: Fiji-based World Health Organisation's Representative to the South Pacific, Doctor Ken Chen

CHEN: There's a lot of logistic issues that we're dealing with, we've received the vaccine from the donors then distributed to all the countries. As I understand it is the Pacific Island countries are among the list of the first shipment, so we hope we will get some of the vaccine next month in December this year.

MCPHERSON: In terms of the H1N1 vaccine arriving who will be the first people to receive it?

CHEN: We work with each country to prepare that, the priority list, and it is strongly recommended that the health workers should receive the vaccine. The first really is the health worker, the other one closely with the patient, the other one work for the frontline, so they have more chance of being infected by the virus. And the second is we needed to make sure our health service system can function properly with healthy health workers. Of course then the other group, including the pregnant women and kids and those who have a chronic condition.

MCPHERSON: And in terms of the cost of this vaccine does that depend on the country or will it be free for people to receive?

CHEN: This vaccine will be free because this vaccine we received from donor countries and it will be free. Of course the country because the health workers they need to make additional efforts to give the vaccine to the patients, that each country has to do by themselves.

MCPHERSON: And I believe there was a training workshop carried out in Fiji recently for the preparation of this vaccine to arrive. What did the workshop involve?

CHEN: That workshop we organised in Fiji in Nadi which involved especially for the Pacific Island countries, and we discussed with the country and the workers together to prepare a plan for the preparation of the receiver of the vaccine and for the distribution of the vaccine. To distribute this vaccine quickly to the grassroot level and to the health facilities and to give this vaccine as soon as possible. So there's a lot of work needed to prepare that.

MCPHERSON: And do you think that most people will be able to receive this vaccine? What is the quantity that you think will be arriving?

CHEN: We are expecting for the Pacific Island countries, we hope not one time, but we hope we can receive the vaccine to cover ten per cent of the population.

MCPHERSON: Is that low though, only ten per cent of the population?

CHEN: Ten per cent of the population globally more than 90 countries will receive the vaccine from the WHO, and it's ten per cent of all the population is a huge, big member of the population in such a short time, big challenge. The first time, it's a lot.

MCPHERSON: So the other nine?

CHEN: If you look at Fiji, Fiji is about 850-thousand people, so it's ten per cent, about 85-thousand, 85-thousand vaccines. Now if we can get them more it's better, we need to consider about the donor countries and we needed to consider about the capacity of the manufacturer that produces the vaccine takes time.

MCPHERSON: Do you have any current concerns about this virus in the South Pacific? Do you have any new cases popping up?

CHEN: In Fiji recently we don't have any new cases and we also don't have any new cases in other Pacific Island countries. But you look at the news from the northern hemisphere and there are several countries have a lot of new cases now. So globally the second wave is already there. We are closely monitoring the situation in those countries.

MCPHERSON: So a second wave has begun, are you concerned about tourism then and tourists coming into say Fiji carrying the virus?

CHEN: Based on the experience of the first wave you can see that the cases that have started in the Pacific Island countries all come from outside. So those people travel back or visit us, so I think we still need to closely monitor the situation.