Morakot survivors get H1N1 vaccination

“The response has been enthusiastic among typhoon survivors,” said Wen Ming-fu, head of the health office of Alishan Township in southern Taiwan's Chiayi County.

Morakot-affected people and health care personnel have been given top priority by the government to be vaccinated against the swine flu, officially known as influenza A (H1N1) and are the first to receive the shots in Taiwan.

Wen led medical staff in administering H1N1 shots at the Leyeh prefab housing settlement that provides shelter for families of the indigenous Tsou tribe displaced by Typhoon Morakot, which wreaked havoc in central and southern Taiwan in early August.

“All of the 76 documented tribal people have turned up for vaccination and more than 90 percent of them were given shots,” Wen said.

A few seniors and children who either had flu-like symptoms or high blood pressure were not vaccinated but will be given the H1N1 flu shot at a later date, Wen said.

Wen reminded those who received the shots to contact his office if they develop fevers, allergies, shortness of breath or other symptoms, or faint in the coming days.

Chiayi County's health office also sent personnel to other provisional settlements for Morakot-affected people in Meishan and Sinmei townships to administer swine flu shots, a county official said.

Meanwhile, Premier Wu Den-yih visited the Jenmei settlement center in Kaohsiung County's Dashu Township Sunday to check on how the H1N1 immunization program was going on its first day.

Except for the 120 residents who traveled to Taipei Saturday to attend an activity, most other residents at the center received swine flu shots Sunday.

Wu said government preparations for the H1N1 immunization program have proceeded smoothly and he reiterated recent government assurances that Taiwan has procured a sufficient number of doses of the vaccine to protect local residents from falling victim to the swine flu strain.

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