The WHO Donates A/H1N1 Vaccines as Death Toll Reaches 26

Two more people died in the A/H1N1 flu pandemic, bringing the country’s total fatalities to 26 from a total of 10,268 cases of infection, according to the Director of the Preventive Medicine and the Environment under the Ministry of Health Nguyen Huy Nga.

“Among the 26 A/H1N1 flu fatalities, 60% were female patients, 25% of whom were pregnant women,” said Nguyen, who was speaking at the weekly meeting of the National Steering Committee for A/H1N1 flu pandemic prevention.

At the meeting, the MOH presented a plan for vaccination against A/H1N1 flu, which will prioritize first on high-risk groups such as health staff, pregnant women and people suffering from chronic diseases, particularly those located in densely-populated areas.

The vaccines will be donated by the World Health Organization, whom reported last Thursday that Vietnam has been added to the list of nations to receive A/H1N1 vaccines. According to the MOH, the WHO will supply enough vaccines for 2% of the country’s population, or approximately 1.6 million doses, by the end of 2010. The amount may increase but will not exceed 10% of the population. The first lot of vaccines is expected to be sent to Viet Nam in the fourth quarter of 2009.

In addition to the amount provided by the WHO, the MOH has also bought between 500,000 and 1 million doses of the vaccine from WHO-recognized pharmaceutical companies.

The MOH expects more than 900,000 people who belong in high-risk groups to be prioritized for A/H1N1 vaccinations and about 1.5 million people overall will be vaccinated using doses donated by the WHO. Up to 3.3 million people may eventually be vaccinated against A/H1N1 flu prevention nationwide, representing less than 4% of Viet Nam’s population.