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Taiwan intensifies fight against H1N1 outbreak

ROC Central News Agency

2009/08/24 20:59:04
Taipei, Aug. 24 (CNA) Taiwan has intensified epidemic prevention efforts as it confirmed on Monday the fourth and fifth fatalities from swine flu, officially known as influenza A (H1N1).

As part of the reinforced campaign, more flu patients will be treated with the anti-viral drug Tamiflu, with the government rather than the National Health Insurance system footing the bill, Premier Liu Chao-shiuan said.

In response to a steady rise in the number of swine flu infections in Taiwan, Liu said the government has decided to ease guidelines for Tamiflu prescriptions, which will be paid for with aspecial government budget.

Under the relaxed rules, physicians will be authorized to prescribe Tamiflu or Relenza to certain categories of flu patients without the need for them to undergo rapid screening tests for the H1N1 flu strain, which are not totally reliable.

Those patients will include people with underlying chronic diseases, pregnant women, children under the age of 5, people who have come into contact with confirmed H1N1 patients, and those who have developed pneumonia or severe flu symptoms.

Moreover, the premier said the procurement and inventory of anti-viral flu drugs, such as Tamiflu and Relenza, should be expanded to meet the demand in case of an emergency.

After consulting with health specialists, Liu said the inventory of Tamiflu and Relenza will be raised to an amount sufficient to treat 30 percent of Taiwan's total population -- or at least 7 million people -- up from the original 18 percent.

As Taiwan is still recovering from the destruction wrought by Typhoon Morakot, Liu said priority should be given to epidemic control measures at emergency shelters for people left homeless by the natural disaster.

As of Monday, more than 6,000 survivors remain in shelters in the hardest-hit zones in southern Taiwan's Pingtung, Kaohsiung and Chiayi counties.

Morakot dumped a staggering amount of rainfall in southern Taiwan Aug. 7-9, swelling rivers that washed away bridges and triggering landslides that buried entire remote mountainous villages.

As many military servicemen and volunteers have been mobilized to help clean up the huge amounts of mud and debris left by the storm, Liu said those working in the disaster zones should wear facial masks to protect themselves from coming down with the H1N1 virus.

As of Monday, Taiwan had confirmed five swine flu fatalities. CDC tallies also show that the number of severe cases has exceeded 40, with some patients still receiving treatment at hospitals.

The number of cluster H1N1 infections is also believed to have hit 100, and more than 10,000 Taiwanese people are coming down with the virus each week, according to CDC estimates.

(By Sofia Wu) enditem/ls