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Updated Monday, November 2, 2009 9:22 am TWN, CNA

Morakot survivors get H1N1 vaccination

Taiwan has ordered 10 million doses of the vaccine from Taiwan's Adimmune Corp. and another 5 million doses from the multinational pharmaceutical company Novartis to cover an anticipated nationwide demand of 12 million doses.

Noting that the locally produced vaccine has passed human clinical trials, Wu said he appreciates the hard work of public health officials in preparing for the mass immunization program.

But he said the country cannot afford to relax its guard against the disease as more than 1,100 classes around Taiwan have been suspended due to reports of some students coming down with flu-like symptoms.

“Amid signs of a new wave of swine flu infections and the weather getting cooler, local people should step up health management and cooperate with the government in helping ward off the spread of the virus,” Wu said.

In related reports, typhoon survivors staying at settlement centers in central Taiwan's Nantou County and southern Taiwan's Pingtung and Kaohsiung counties were also keen to receive H1N1 vaccines.

Lin Chi-yu, a specialist at Nantou County's health office, said 76 percent of documented Morakot-affected people in the county had been vaccinated as of noon Sunday.

“There have been no reports of uncomfortable reactions from vaccination recipients so far,” Lin said.

A total of 445 residents at settlement centers in Pingtung County's mountainous Wutai, Mudan and Sandimen townships have been documented for swine flu immunization and most of them showed up Sunday morning to get their shots, local officials said.

Lu Meng-lun, a section chief at Pingtung County's Bureau of Health, said some residents at a Wutai settlement center were quarantined for a couple of days in October after they were infected with seasonal flu.

“The quarantine was necessary to prevent cluster infections,” Lu said, adding that except for a few people who are out of town to attend a national sports meet, other Wutai residents at the settlement center had received H1N1 shots as of Sunday afternoon.

“Vaccination for residents at the Mudan and Sandimen settlement centers is also expected to be completed later in the day,” Lu added.

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	H1N1 vaccines became available in Taiwan yesterday. Victims of the flooding caused by Typhoon Morakot are priority groups. Seen here, people line up in front of a prefab medical building in Alishan Township, Chiayi County, to receive the vaccine injections. (CNA) Enlarge Photo


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