Geneva: The World Health Organisation on
today urged people not to drop their guard over the swine flu
pandemic and insisted on the value of vaccination despite the
broadly mild symptoms of the virus.
"At the WHO we remain quite concerned about the pattern
we are seeing, particularly because a sizeable number of
people do develop serious complications and death," said Keiji
Fukuda, special adviser on pandemic.
"Again, we are seeing most of this develop in people who
are younger than 65 years, a picture which is different from
seasonal influenza," he explained.
Fukuda reiterated that the cases of serious complications
were largely found among the chronically ill, pregnant women
as well as some otherwise healthy younger people.
He also countered signs of public scepticism about the
vaccine revealed by surveys in several countries, despite the
resurgence of swine flu in the northern hemisphere with the
onset of the colder season.
"WHO believes that these vaccines are very useful against
the pandemic virus," Fukuda said in a telephone conference.
Vaccination against A(H1N1) influenza has now started in
more than 20 countries and were demonstrably safe, according
to the WHO.
"What we are seeing is that these vaccines are highly
safe and have been received by a significant number of people
without any problems," Fukuda said.
Swine flu has differed from seasonal flu in persisting in
the northern hemisphere during the summer period.
Bureau Report