Drive to administer flu vaccines

THE provincial health department has delivered crucial flu vaccines to its healthcare facilities to provide an alternative aid for people left vulnerable by the global coronavirus pandemic.

The department received 105 000 vaccine doses which it distributed to its main primary healthcare facilities as a precautionary measure against Covid-19.

Guided by the National Health Department’s list of vulnerable persons, such as frontline healthcare workers; people over the age of 65; those with cardiovascular diseases(including chronic heart disease, and diabetes), as well as people living with chronic lung diseases like asthma.

Provincial health department spokesperson Natalie Watlington said: “Healthcare facilities will make use of their records of the various patients in each of the identified vulnerable groups, and use the information to allocate quantities, and administer the vaccines.”

Watlington pointed out that the vaccine this year like for any other year had been developed according to the prediction of strains that will be in circulation for the winter season, and while it might not cure Covid-19 it would help boost the immune system.

To encourage social distancing, and curb the spreading of Covid-19, healthcare facilities have put in place measures to give the vaccinations through outreach programmes such as providing giving it at old age homes, she said. |