Swine flu: Guernsey sticks to its strategy as Jersey goes for total inoculation
Friday 8th May 2009, 2:29PM BST.
THE team in charge of preparations for a pandemic have no plans to secure the swine flu vaccine.
Jersey announced yesterday that its Health and Social Services Department had agreed to secure the H1N1 pandemic-specific vaccine as soon as the first batch became available.
It intends to inoculate the entire island population.
The Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Group here, which includes GP representatives from three primary care groups and consultant respiratory physician Dr Wasif Anees, agreed to maintain the island’s current pandemic strategy.
Director of public health Dr Stephen Bridgman (pictured) said it would continue to work closely with the UK authorities and monitor the situation.
‘Current indications are that swine flu may not be more virulent in the UK than seasonal flu, and, if so, it is possible that if and when a vaccine is produced to swine flu, only high-risk people might be recommended for vaccination, as for seasonal flu at present,’ he said.
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As there is no information as to the possible after effects of mass immunisation surely this is taking some risk!Of course if the sickness gets out of hand there may be no choice!
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I think that Guernsey is right in its decision. Have you checked out the side effects of the Tamiflu vaccine for example? I know for sure that I, and my extended family will be opting out of any mass vaccination – not only because of the side effects, but also because I understand the vaccine to be useless in terms of preventing this flu. Also, should I or my family fall ill with piggyflu, then we will stay at home, rather than go into hospital.
What does everyone else on this forum think?
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Guernsey’s stance sounds eminently sensible.
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UK HEALTH SECRETARY ALAN JOHNSON SAYS THEY ARE NOW SPEEDING ON TO MAKE A VACCINE,JERSEY HAS MADE SURE IT HAS SECURED THE VACCINE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WHEN IT IS READY.YOU CAN HAVE KNOW DOUBT THAT A VACCINE WILL BE MADE,SO WHAT IS THE GUERNSEY HEALTH AUTHORITY DOING SITTING ON THE FENCE,I HOPE THERE NOT TRYING TO SAVE MONEY UNTIL IT APPEARS NECCESARY TO SPEND IT.
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I am with Sarnia Expat on this.
How can we possibly build up immunity to anything if we are vaccinated, won’t the virus just mutate again? I agree for the sick and vulnerable it may be useful.
I asked my doctor if he had been vaccinated against ‘flu in the winter months when he was advocating that i have it. He had not! Therefore I declined his invitation (and saved myself quite a bit of money in the process). I know people who did receive the vaccine and they felt awful and had symptoms which lasted several days.
So as far as i am concerned thanks but no thanks.
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Dificult one to be honest, if it does come back as the winter flu it will will be worse than it is now esp for children and the elderly. Surely the states should be securing some vaccinations at least for these people. I have two very young children and would much rather err on the side of caution and let them have it then wait for them to get it and find out its a worse strain than thought. They need to look at the future rather than now. As jersey point out from a financial pont for businesses you are less likely to have so many people ill having it than not having it. Also why not get it do babies, children and the elderly and if others want it then the option is there. At the moment we have no option just what the states are tellng us. Too late once it hits the island if it is a bad strain…..
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I don’t live in your bearutiful island, I live in England, and I think this whole thing has got out of hand. It’s flu, maybe a nastier strain maybe not, but if everyone uses common sense then I’m sure it can be beaten. Perhaps some people will die – awful to contemplate – but people do die from flu.
So come on everyone, put this in perspective.
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Tamiflu isnt a vaccine its an anti viral drug that apparently isnt that effective. The normal flu jab may be beneficial and presumably the specific one even more so. Personally I think its far lower risk than all the hype but one must always be on guard as it could comeback in a more vicious form later in the year.
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It’s unfortunate that the ignorance, in relation to Swine flu, displayed by Sarnia Expat is quite widespread. It is essential that the facts concerning influenza infection are given the publicity given to HIV two decades ago.
Jersey has taken the exactly the correct action in relation to the pandemic specific vaccine. If the present mild form of the disease continues and/or peters out then Jersey will have paid a high insurance premium. If, as in 1919 and other flu pandemics, this novel flu virus turns into a monster, we will be criticsising our masters for not having the foresight to follow the Crapauds’ example.
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i dont understand why jerseys policy is so different than guernseys,they seem to be viewing this much more seriously than are health department.i think they need to give us more of an explanation as to what is going on?.they should at least be looking into how they can get this vaccine if needed and how quickly it would arrive in an emergency.this could develop into something more dangerous.
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It seems strange that Jersey is spending thousands of pounds importing a vacine that may prevent flu.
Whilst dozens of people die every year from cancer related illness caused by the legal importation of cigarettes.
In a hundred years time future genarations will find this decision absurd.
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I’m relaxed about Guernsey’s decision and surprised at the same time. Usually it only takes one person in the media shouting ‘think of the children’ and we spend millions.
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Tamiflu is an anti-viral drug not a vaccine – they are different!
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Time to buy shares in the company that make the antiviral. They will be the only winners in the end.
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Adverse effects of Tamiflu
Common adverse drug reactions (ADRs) associated with oseltamivir therapy include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and headache. Rare ADRs include: hepatitis and elevated liver enzymes, rash, allergic reactions including anaphylaxis, and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.[5]
Better alternative:
Eat Healthy, Exercise regularly, DONT SMOKE. and let your body’s natural immune system do its job.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Are-Smokers-More-Likely-to-Catch-the-Swine-Flu?&id=2280151
On that note I’d be more than unhappy spending my tax on giving antivirals to Smokers who have the money to pay for a habbit that effects their health and expect other to pay when they get I’ll.
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“nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and headache”
That sounds like flu :)
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It all seems to have been blown out of proportion, remember ‘Bird Flu’?
As soon as the media found something more interesting to report it was quietly forgotten, I suspect Swine Flu will end up going the same way!
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Guernsey will be following the advice given by the UK NHS in all likelihood.The UK happens to have a world class centre in influenza research . If an effective vaccine is available, then Guernsey will be supplied in parallel with the UK as presently occurs with the seasonal flu vaccine.
The reason there is such concern with this new H1N1 strain, which so far seems like a mild disease for most, in reflected in the Guernsey history of flu pandemics.
The Spanish flu of 1918 affected Guernsey very little in the first summer wave of infection. During in the proceding six months,the virus altered to a more lethal form,to cause 400 deaths in the following winter.Many were previously healthy islanders. Considering the lower population 90 years ago, that is an eventuality that we would do well to avoid today.
The flu is beatable in the modern era, but we do need to take the correct precautions and best evidence based advice.
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if thats true cw then thats good because the british government signed deals two years ago with vaccine manufacturers ,to secure the first batches of any new flu vaccine once it became available.one expert said after the who meeting on the 14th of may its a forgone conclusion that a h1n1 vaccine will be made,its just a question of how much seasonal vaccine is made aswell .i would be more confident if guernseys board of health would tell us where they source vaccine and what reasons they have for not following jerseys lead.does anyone on here have any idea why?
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Surely Deputy Hadley has an opinion he’d like to share ?
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The problem all governments have to face is that the factories cannot produce enough new flu vaccine as well as enough seasonal vaccine in the time available. They’ve decided to finish the production run of seasonal vaccine before mass producing the new vaccine. This means the new vaccine will not be available in sufficient quantity until October or November which may be too late.
We should not be complacent about the continuing danger of bird flu which could still come back to bite hard.
Jersey has taken the best decision it could in the circumstances. It may cost a few hundred thousand pounds but that’s nothing to the cost if the new variety flu takes off.
It should be noted that those who have died from the new flu have been mostly young and otherwise healthy unlike seasonal flu where the usual fatalities are among the old and/or infirm.
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