From Divvy Kant Upadhyay, Manipal
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi

Udupi, Apr 12: Amidst widespread media reports that the Swine Flu or H1N1 pandemic could have been exaggerated, the H1N1 vaccine arrived in India and as per government policy is being administered to Healthcare workers in the first phase.

Close to 2,000 healthcare workers in Manipal received the H1N1 vaccine during the vaccination drive in the university town from Thursday to Saturday.

Dr Arunkumar at the Manipal Centre for Virus Research informed that the vaccine was received from Government of Karnataka to vaccinate all health workers in the town of Manipal. Manipal is home to the 1500-bedded Kasturba Hospital which has several employees which come under different categories of healthworkers as defined by the authorities – namely Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists, Paramedics and the Hospital Support staff ( Group C and D workers)

In a document on guidance of pandemic vaccination, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Director General of Health Services has stated that in the first phase, the “health care workers in the hospitals from Community Health Centre and above would be targeted. Subsequently remaining health workers and emergency service providers would be taken up for vaccination”.

The document also states that the vaccine procured for the purpose is ‘PANENZA’, the pandemic vaccine produced by Sanofi Pasteur, France. The vaccine is recommended by WHO and EU and has been widely given in European countries since November last year.

The Ministry of Health document also updates the status of the vaccine being produced in India. “The indigenous vaccine is undergoing clinical trials and expected to be available by May/ June 2010. Meanwhile the Government of India has imported 1.5 million doses of vaccine to vaccinate selected population among the high risk group”

Dr Arunkumar informs this vaccine is specific to the particular Influenza A H1N1 – 2009 virus strain. He feels the vaccine can provide complete immunity within 3-4 weeks and that could last until one year.

Several voices have been raised about the efficacy of the vaccine taking into cognizance the fact that the virus can mutate fast leaving the vaccine useless against the mutated version. “For this season, the strain appears to remain stable” says Dr Arunkumar hinting that it maybe afterall a good option to take the vaccine.

Head of Infectious Diseases and Professor of Medicine at Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Dr John T Ramapuram agrees that in the present scenario the vaccine is a “fine and safe option”. Mangalore has not been as lucky as Manipal as some institutes are yet to receive the vaccines from the district authorities. 

Professor of Community Medicine at KMC Mangalore, Dr Unnikrishnan expresses his concern over the cost of the vaccine. Presently the Government of India is bearing the full cost of the vaccine. “We must study and analyse if this move was a cost effective public health policy” feels Dr Unnikrishnan. This concern is being amplified at the global stage as the International Health Regulations Committee gets ready to meet in Geneva from 12-14 April. This 29 member committee is going to review the WHO’s response to the H1N1 virus. The meeting comes amidst the reports from media agencies of Samlee Plianbangchang, regional director of WHO southeast Asia, saying "Yes, it was," in a reply to a question on whether H1N1 scare was exaggerated by the global health watchdog.

The WHO had declared Influenza A (H1N1) as a pandemic in June 2009 after the disease broke out across the globe. The impact was much less than expected. According to WHO, as of 4 April 2010, more than 213 countries across the world have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including over 17700 deaths.