ABC Australia reports concerns from top infectious disease experts that H1N1 flu vaccine may be rushed. Specifically, there is a concern over using multi-dose vials that in the past have become contaminated, resulting in spread of infectious blood diseases.
The Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases president, Dr. Tom Gottleib said, “To rush to a massive vaccination using multi-dose vials that have been associated with problems in the past, seems too hasty and perhaps not measured enough for our society”. He suggests since H1N1 swine flu cases have waned, the vaccine might wait until single doses could be made available.
The concern from infectious disease experts prompted a letter from Dr. Gottleib, written to Commonwealth Chief Medical Officer Jim Bishop, who defends the use of multi-dose vial for vaccinations as the norm. He is confident that health care professionals administering the vaccine are competent. Spokesperson Dr Rachel David says, ”If multi-dose vials are used correctly there is no increased risk.”
Single dose H1N1 vaccine doses would take months to get ready, delaying mass vaccination.
According to Dr. Gottleib, ”Many members are concerned that there is a risk of adverse outcomes if a mass vaccination campaign was conducted using multi-dose vials. It adds that it would be difficult to guarantee proper procedures were followed in hospitals, let alone clinics and general-practice units in the community, where there may be a lesser safeguarding of the necessary safe infection-control practices”. Share your thoughts. Will you take the H1N1 flu vaccine, or are things moving too fast toward mass H1N1 swine flu vaccination?
Source: ABC
Hello Kathleen,
When I spoke with my MS Nurse Specialist about swine flu he told me that although I was placed in the high risk catorgary because of MS I should not worry. The swine flu is not much more serious than the usual flu and only people who are ill can be infected worse.
I doubt I’ll take the swine flu vaccination and thought that it was less of a deal than normal flu.
I’d recently heard it was a government scheme to take our mind of the current global crisis!!
Hi Kathleen
I wouldn’t take a swine flu jab, the same as I don’t take a normal flu tab. However, it is good that the option is being made available for those who choose to take it for whatever reason.
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For the love of pork.
Everyday I have people ringing up saying they’ve got swine flu. No you haven’t. Its a cold.
Apparently you know when you’ve got swine flu because every hair on your head hurts, it doesn’t help that GP’s are diagnosing over the phone so every Tom, Dick and er, Dick are being given Tamiflu which then backs up their theory that they have swine flu. No you haven’t. Its a cold.
There’s supposed to be a new wave of cases in about a month but we’ll see.
I don’t see why I need to get the vaccine. I don’t deny there has been way too many deaths in Malaysia but I am not convinced with the vaccine and the effectiveness.
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Dr. Gottleib may well have a point but this I’m sure will already be a considered & calculated risk (very small, but potentially valid) that will be weighed up against the potential illness/fatalities caused by a flu pandemic. Governments & health organisations (e.g. WHO) will model these relative risks & base their response for each specific scenario & for different demographic risk groups.
No doubt – it is also a rarity for a physician’s group to speak out like this.
the H1N1 or Swine Flu Virus is very scary at first but now it is well controlled by vaccines and prevention by avoiding going into places with incidence of swine flu.