Centre forms panel to review norms on H1N1

The move comes in the wake of a spurt in cases of swine flu in the country and the increase in demand for vaccines for prevention from the deadly virus

New Delhi, Sept. 14: The government has constituted a committee to identify areas most-hit by swine flu as it seeks to review its guidelines on seasonal influenza vaccination and redefine categories to be vaccinated on priority basis, a health ministry official said.

The move comes in the wake of a spurt in cases of swine flu in the country and the subsequent increase in demand for vaccines for prevention from the infection.

“The idea is to identify high-risk zones in order to prioritise vaccination,” said the senior health ministry official. The joint monitoring committee has constituted the panel, headed by director general of health services Jagdish Prasad, which monitors the status of swine-flu in the country, he said.

According to the existing guidelines, vaccination is recommended for pregnant women, persons with chronic illnesses and those having co-morbid conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart

disease, diabetes and cancer. The committee also recommends vaccination for healthcare workers in hospitals and institutional settings with a likelihood of exposure to the virus. The guidelines stated the vaccine is also good for the elderly above the age of 65 and children six months to eight years. “Some states state that if we consider all these agegroups and conditions then the demand exceeds the availability of vaccine in the market,” the official added

As per data, H1N1 has claimed 1,586 lives so far this year, which is almost six times more than the deaths recorded last year, with 31,787 cases reported across the country till September 10.