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WHO for Priority to Health and Food Industry Workers in H1N1 Vaccination

DUBAI — The World Health Organisation’s regional office has recommended that GCC countries should give top priority to immunisation against influenza A (H1N1) to workers in the healthcare and food industry as well as those involved in national security and 
political leadership.

Besides healthcare workers, people such as truck drivers, bakers, those critical for food delivery and/or similar services should be given top priority, according to a consultation document released by the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office to act as a guide to assist member states of the region in developing their own priorities.

Priority is also recommended for those working in disciplines related to national security and political leadership. The advice follows the recommendations approved and endorsed by the Director-General of WHO Margaret Chan in July.

The UAE had announced its vaccination policy in August but said that priority would be given to religious pilgrims and students. Other GCC countries are also following a similar 
vaccination policy.

The document was the outcome of a ‘Consultation on Health Systems Response to H1N1 Pandemic Influenza: Setting priorities to related vaccination interventions’ meeting held in Cairo on September 23-24.

Governments in the region have also been advised to adopt a step-wise approach and develop a pre-defined vaccination policy since they may not have timely and adequate procurements of the vaccine.

Moreover, governments that have already filed purchase orders will be receiving their prepaid purchase orders in batches over a relatively long period that could extend over six months, 
it says.

“The decision on who gets vaccinated first will be largely determined by the available amounts of vaccines, the main objective of vaccination and identification of the appropriate target group,” reads the document.

“Should countries receive their share of pandemic influenza late during the decline phase of the first wave, they may consider using their procured stock for vaccinating those who are most likely be severely hit during the beginning of the second wave of the pandemic.

“Loss of services provided by the healthcare group would result in detrimental impact on morbidity and mortality and would compromise the integrity of the healthcare system and the overall country’s crucial infrastructure.”

It also says that successful vaccination of school children would significantly reduce the transmission rate of the pandemic influenza virus in communities. However, it is highly unlikely that countries with large populations would have enough vaccines to conduct mass immunisation campaigns aiming at vaccination of all school children, it adds.

The world body had identified four objectives that countries could adopt as part of their pandemic vaccination strategy including protecting the integrity of the healthcare system and a country’s critical infrastructure, reducing morbidity and mortality especially targeting the high-risk group, reducing transmission within communities and fulfilment of some international obligations such as the upcoming Haj pilgrimage for Muslims.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.ae