Gov’t Pledges Vaccine for 13 Mil. People
Vaccination Will Start From November Amid Escalating Flu Fears
By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
In a move to contain escalating pandemic flu fears, the government Friday said it will spend an extra 110 billion won ($88 million) to secure 10 million doses of vaccine for the influenza A virus this year.
"The most effective step to block further spread of the virus is vaccination. We will provide more people with the vaccines as soon as possible,'' said Jeon Jae-hee, minister of health, welfare and family affairs. ``We will secure sufficient doses of vaccines within this year to vaccinate 10 million people."
The government said it has contacted Britain's GlaxoSmithKline and agreed to get a supply of 3 million doses of an anti-viral vaccine this year. At the same time, the Green Cross Corp. of Korea will produce 7 million doses of vaccine this year.
Starting from November, the vaccination will be available for 13.3 million people through February, 27 percent of the nation's total population.
Frontline doctors and quarantine workers as well as pregnant women, infants and children who are most at risk will get priority for the vaccination program.
Jeon also said the government will stockpile enough Tamiflu reserves to treat 10 million people at any given time.
The government's countermeasures came one day after the health agency reported the third death here from the virus. A 67-year-old man living in Seoul died Thursday after being infected with the H1N1 virus.
Escalating Fears
The third fatality is heightening flu fears further, putting the whole nation on full alert for the virus that is expected to gain strength in line with the onset of cooler weather in the months to come.
The number of Koreans diagnosed with the infectious respiratory disease has topped 3,700 this week since the country saw its first patient in April. Among them, some 1,000 are currently being treated and seven are hospitalized.
The government has requested city and regional administration offices to downsize, delay or cancel large-scale events scheduled in September and October.
All elementary and secondary school teachers will be required to have their temperatures taken every day at work. More schools have announced they plan to extend their summer recesses into September due to flu fears.
Some 930 students have contracted the deadly disease at 400 schools, and 19 schools are closed. 27 schools have extended their summer breaks.
Despite all of the government's struggles with the H1N1 virus, many hospitals are still reluctant to accommodate the flu patients and some hospitals over-issued prescriptions of anti-viral medicine, resulting in a shortage of Tamiflu, government officials said.
The government projected the flu might cause deaths up to 20,000 in the worst case.