There have been some logistical challenges in having the H1N1 vaccine reach various health centres in a timely manner.
This is according to Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh who addressed members of the media at his weekly press conference held at the ministry’s office, Park Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
There have been six confirmed deaths related to the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, and scores of confirmed cases.
The ministry has consistently denied there was any shortage of vaccines although people seeking them are being turned away at health centres.
To combat the delivery problem, Deyalsingh suggested one solution was investing in bigger coolers as nurses often used handheld coolers to transport the vaccines.
“I freely admit that upon investigation that we need to review the logistics of distribution.
“It is no use having 66,000 doses of vaccines but we cannot get it down to the ground level,” Deyalsingh said.
The Health Ministry has over 24,000 vaccines in stock.
He said the vaccines were distributed from the central store of the ministry after which the principal medical officer would then liaise with the county medical officers.
“The county medical officers would also have a store and then all the nurses from the health centres would come for the vaccines or we would deliver.
“But we are reviewing our protocols to make sure the vaccines reach the ground because our investigations tell us that not all health centres are stocked in a timely fashion so that members of the public can access the vaccines,” Deyalsingh said.
He said some health centres were vaccinating after normal hours. Providing statistics, Deyalsingh said for the month of January a total of 26,770 doses were distributed throughout all the counties of T&T.
But Deyalsingh expressed concern that from January 1 to January 21 only 17 pregnant women in the county of St George West had been vaccinated for the H1N1 virus.
“We have alerted the health centres in St George West that all pregnant women from day one of a confirmed pregnancy must be vaccinated.
“That figure of 17 is of concern to me,” Deyalsingh said, adding that he was reasonably happy with the number of pregnant women from the other counties who had been vaccinated.
He said to date there were 2,265 healthcare workers who had been vaccinated, representing a significant increase from years gone by.
Regarding whether there was a need to order more vaccines, Deyalsingh said he would be meeting with the Pan American Health Organisation on Monday to determine this.
Zika virus ‘a clear
and present danger’
On the issue of the Zika virus, the minister said there was the possibility that it was already in the country.
He urged pregnant women who had travelled to any country where Zika was present and displayed symptoms such as rash, fever, headaches and sore throat to immediately seek medical attention as the virus presented a “clear and present danger.”
There have been reports of the Zika virus, which is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, in several Caribbean countries.
“On a scale of one to ten we should be very cautious. We should not be apathetic. We should not be in any way unconcerned.
“I want to put the population on very strong alert that we should be extremely cautious,” Deyalsingh said.
He said while there was no need to panic there was a need for extreme vigilance.
“As Zika presents with new challenges we have to be much more proactive than we have been in the past couple of weeks,” the minister added.
On whether he would be advising women to hold off on pregnancies in the light of Zika, Deyalsingh said he would not be going down that road “as yet.”
El Salvador has urged women to avoid getting pregnant until 2018 to avoid their children developing birth defects from the mosquito-borne Zika virus which has swept through the Americas.
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A breakdown of vaccines given at medical facilities:
San Fernando General Hospital 892
Mt Hope 600
Port-of-Spain General Hospital 246
Sangre Grande 61
Caura Hospital 356
Global Medical Response 110
Immunisation of other healthcare staff continues in the following units of all institutions, as well as for other high-risk staff:
Accident and Emergency • Intensive Care Units
High Dependency Units • Neonatal Units