MoH preparing for "swine flu pandemic"

Health Minister Tomica Milosavljevic expects an increased number of swine flu cases in Serbia shortly and says preparations are being made for a pandemic. He said that respirators were being bought to equip as many intensive care units as possible and that Serbia “is in the queue to buy the vaccination.” MoH preparing for "swine flu pandemic" “The risk of a pandemic is really highand we might need more intensive care units with respirators for several days…and that is why we are buying up respirators quickly,” he told the Beta news agency. Milosavljevic said that Serbia was using the experience of the U.K. and Spain in making this decision. One serious case of swine flu has been registered in Kragujevac—a woman from Kraljevo who is in intensive care. Milosavljevic said that Serbia was waiting to buy the swine flu vaccine, but that the quantity had to be calculated carefully, because the intensity of the epidemic could not be predicted. He said that experts and the government must play a part here, stating that there should be a successive program of priority groups. The minister said that the first group would contain 1.5 million people, and that a number of people would be vaccinated at the beginning of next year, adding that those who needed the vaccine would not be charged for it. He said that the vaccinen would be obligatory for all people with chronic medical conditions, but also “people whose vaccination will prevent the spread of the disease.” This includes those employed in the public sector, hospitals and schools. The minister said that experts might call for everyone to be vaccinated, but since there were 7.5mn people living in Serbia this would not be possible “because we do not have the money, nor can we do this systematically.” “As far as money for the vaccine is concerned, the health ministry’s budget plans took the problem into consideration,” Milosavljevic said. He said that the vaccination expired after 18 months and one dose would probably be enough, though experts said earlier that two might be needed. The minister also said that domestic producers would begin making a vaccine for seasonal flu at the end of this year and for the swine flu by the next cold season. He said that it was unusual that there were not more respiratory diseases active in October, but the epidemic trends of swine flu over the summer had been unusual too. “We have an agreement on the level of the World Health Organization to form several emergency teams in Geneva for interventions around the world in the vaccine campaign. That team should be ready to fly out to any potential case of complications to confirm if it was caused by the vaccine or not. This risk must be accepted in advance because usage is a lot higher,” Milosavljevic explained. Tomica Milosavljevic (FoNet, archive)

MoH preparing for "swine flu pandemic"

“The risk of a pandemic is really highand we might need more intensive care units with respirators for several days…and that is why we are buying up respirators quickly,” he told the Beta news agency.

Milosavljević said that Serbia was using the experience of the U.K. and Spain in making this decision.

One serious case of swine flu has been registered in Kragujevac—a woman from Kraljevo who is in intensive care.

Milosavljević said that Serbia was waiting to buy the swine flu vaccine, but that the quantity had to be calculated carefully, because the intensity of the epidemic could not be predicted.

He said that experts and the government must play a part here, stating that there should be a successive program of priority groups.

The minister said that the first group would contain 1.5 million people, and that a number of people would be vaccinated at the beginning of next year, adding that those who needed the vaccine would not be charged for it.

He said that the vaccinen would be obligatory for all people with chronic medical conditions, but also “people whose vaccination will prevent the spread of the disease.”

This includes those employed in the public sector, hospitals and schools.

The minister said that experts might call for everyone to be vaccinated, but since there were 7.5mn people living in Serbia this would not be possible “because we do not have the money, nor can we do this systematically.”

“As far as money for the vaccine is concerned, the health ministry’s budget plans took the problem into consideration,” Milosavljević said.

He said that the vaccination expired after 18 months and one dose would probably be enough, though experts said earlier that two might be needed.

The minister also said that domestic producers would begin making a vaccine for seasonal flu at the end of this year and for the swine flu by the next cold season.

He said that it was unusual that there were not more respiratory diseases active in October, but the epidemic trends of swine flu over the summer had been unusual too.

“We have an agreement on the level of the World Health Organization to form several emergency teams in Geneva for interventions around the world in the vaccine campaign. That team should be ready to fly out to any potential case of complications to confirm if it was caused by the vaccine or not. This risk must be accepted in advance because usage is a lot higher,” Milosavljević explained.