Business Executives Should Take Influenza Vaccine

[george]

Business executives should take influenza vaccine

BANGKOK: -- Business executives as well as those working in public utility services ought to take a vaccine on influenza to prevent themselves from being contracted of the deadly bird flu, said a well-known medical doctor.

Dr. Prasert Thongcharoen, president of the Influenza Foundation (Thailand) and also a member of the UN World Health Organisation (WHO) Expert Committee Advisory Panel on Virus Diseases, said normally an influenza vaccine injection could help prevent H1N1, H3N2 and influenza in the group B and the WHO is still recommending this kind of vaccine for use on humans in 2007 and 2008.

People aged over 65 as well as those from 6 months to 6 years old and businessmen and executives should undertake the vaccine to prevent them from being contracted of bird flu.

A new recommendation on vaccination will be given in case of widespread of H5N1 virus and an injection will have to focus on employees in the fields of electricity and water utilities, telephone, telecommunications, public transport, police officers and garbage collectors, he said.

Dr. Prasert said his foundation would launch campaigns among state enterprises and public utility agencies to lay out preventive measures against bird flu because sickness among their employees could affect national security.

He suggested that people who are suffering from diseases such as diabetes, heart and lung inflammation, should stay away from influenza patients because they could easily contract the viral disease.

--TNA 2007-01-26

[samtam]

This seems an odd recommendation, as I believe there is no effective vaccination against the H5N1 virus, and the following part of the article doesn't suggest that a new one has yet been created either. Am I missing something?

A new recommendation on vaccination will be given in case of widespread of H5N1 virus and an injection will have to focus on employees in the fields of electricity and water utilities, telephone, telecommunications, public transport, police officers and garbage collectors, he said.

[John K]

Unusual yes and no. It is not an original idea or concept, it has been depicted in several Hollywood movies. Unfortunately the movies that it is depicted in are the doom / disaster movies.

[londonthai]

getting an ordinary flu vaccine will boost generally your immune system and prevent from weakening the body from flu.

As a preventative measure Tamiflu (very expensive drug - >$4 a tablet) can be taken on a daily basis.

why executives and not the workers in the public services should take this jab - because executives do have money for having them and it's too much for the state to take care of it's civil servants.

[samtam]

getting an ordinary flu vaccine will boost generally your immune system and prevent from weakening the body from flu.

I understand that......from 'flu.....but not from bird 'flu.

As a preventative measure Tamiflu (very expensive drug - >$4 a tablet) can be taken on a daily basis.

You can only take Tamiflu if you have 'flu symptoms, and it's advisable to only take it under a doctor's supervision.

[londonthai]

yes, but if your body is weak because of the recent flu you have a bigger chance of getting another viral infection, like the bird flu.

tamiflu can be taken as a preventative 1 tablet daily for those who might come accross the virus - the family of the infected, the medical staff and those culling the infested birds.

when the first symptoms of the bird flu appear (no more than 48h) Tamiflu should be taken 2 tablets daily for 5 days and you will be hospitalised to separate from the population and to monitor your condition. There might be some side effects of this drug - but there is no any other to replace it

[astral]

So far it is true to say that so far, Bird Flu is only dangerous if you are a bird................

I know there have been a few deaths in the human population, but only with people directly handling birds.

This sort of alarmist announcement is nothing short of stupid.

[baabaabobo]

My doctor recommended getting a flu jab. His explanation was that if I caught Bird Flu the diagnosis would be quicker because he could rule out "normal" flu. I didn't get the jab.

[londonthai]

if I have lived in thailand I would get a jab - as the doctor recommends - just not to lose several days off work, take drugs during illness, suffer from the side effects of those drugs and than days/weeks or sometimes even months of recovery.

employers not only in a public sector should include this jab to safe on paying for sick days

[roamer]

yes, but if your body is weak because of the recent flu you have a bigger chance of getting another viral infection, like the bird flu.

tamiflu can be taken as a preventative 1 tablet daily for those who might come accross the virus - the family of the infected, the medical staff and those culling the infested birds.

when the first symptoms of the bird flu appear (no more than 48h) Tamiflu should be taken 2 tablets daily for 5 days and you will be hospitalised to separate from the population and to monitor your condition. There might be some side effects of this drug - but there is no any other to replace it

You have to find a source of supply first, governments are stockpiling it and finding a pharmacy that can supply it is the first hurdle.

[Phil Conners]

I've been trying to find a doctor in Pattaya who can provide a (normal) flu shot. Only Bangkok Pattaya seems to be able to provide - after talking to several people and having been sent around from one desk to another - and it has to be booked ahead.

[londonthai]

I bought my supply of Tamiflu in Bangkok in one of the small pharmacies next to the Sirirach hospital on Thonburi - that was spring 2005. They were selling from under the counter, not for thai people. Soon after the government introduced a law forbidding any sale of Tamiflu under the penalty of 2 years unconditioned jail sentence.

I got another batch of those pills on a prescription from my local GP in London when I told him I am going on a long holiday in a rural thailand - the guy even didn't know what is Tamiflu and had to check it in his medicines book (he is an exceptionally uneducated doctor - more like a butcher).

since than my tablets expired, but still keep them for the black day.

heard that in spain they sell tamiflu over the counter. It's available on the net - cheap, but might be fake.

[isaanbrit]

I've been trying to find a doctor in Pattaya who can provide a (normal) flu shot. Only Bangkok Pattaya seems to be able to provide - after talking to several people and having been sent around from one desk to another - and it has to be booked ahead.

Why - are you a businessman? :-) LOL

(They say only businessmen)

[Phil Conners]

I've been trying to find a doctor in Pattaya who can provide a (normal) flu shot. Only Bangkok Pattaya seems to be able to provide - after talking to several people and having been sent around from one desk to another - and it has to be booked ahead.

Why - are you a businessman? :-) LOL

(They say only businessmen)

No, I just don't like getting the flu. Seems I get it every year, taking me out of circulation for a week or so.

[roamer]

since than my tablets expired, but still keep them for the black day.

Likewise. Got mine last march in London and the only stock available had expiry date Oct 2006. BUT research (Canadian I seem to recall) showed that Tamiflu that had passed its expiry date had showed no deterioration and it saw no problem in extending the expiry date by 5 years. believe thats now the situation with the supplies now being stockpiled.

[davethailand]

People aged over 65 as well as those from 6 months to 6 years old andbusinessmen and executives should undertake the vaccine to prevent them from being contracted of bird flu.

What a load of <deleted>!

What about everyone else?

Don't they deserve it?

[londonthai]

shows of whom

'well-known medical doctor Dr. Prasert Thongcharoen, president of the Influenza Foundation (Thailand) and also a member of the UN World Health Organisation (WHO) Expert Committee Advisory Panel on Virus Diseases'

is worrying about.

rotten b*stard

[lopburi3]

The flu shot is indeed recommended for groups of people at risk but what it protects against is different each year as they guess at what will be the likely most serious flue varieties and make the vaccine on that basis (and what you get in Europe may not be what you get here).

Wife and I had no problem getting immediately at second line hospital here in Bangkok in October.

Even if the guess is right you may still get the flu - but it should be much less severe.

Have not seen any report that it would be expected to be effective against bird flu but indirectly the less people with any kind of flu the less chance of bird flu mutating into human flu so advise for shots up to the max availability seems prudent.

Tamiflu was designed as a prophylactic but should never be used in that role now as it would greatly increase the risk that a bird flu outbreak, if it happens, would be resistant; and presently tamiflu is the only effective treatment drug.

[Prakanong]

There is an effective vaccine for H5N1 - its been tested and it works.

Obviously not licenced yet as further testing in later phases is required - these will start very soon.

The documents for licensing have already been submitted without the data I beleive to ensure a quick licensing can take place if the larger scale trials prove successful

As for who gets it first - its up to the country who buys it I suppose but essential services would be first on te list in most ie health, fire, security.

[Prakanong]

As I was asaying about an effective vaccine - hot of a news release issued to the press Monday 29th Jan

"GlaxoSmithKline Files Its New Pre-Pandemic Influenza Vaccine In Europe

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK plc) today announced that its new generation H5N1 split antigen pre-pandemic influenza vaccine has been accepted for review by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) in Europe. This innovative vaccine utilises GSK’s novel proprietary adjuvant system technology which allows a very low amount of antigen (3.8µg) to be used to elicit a strong seroprotective response – the so-called ‘antigen-sparing’ effect.

In a recent pivotal clinical trial carried out in Belgium1 involving the new generation H5N1 influenza vaccine, it was shown that two very low doses of antigen (3.8µg), given 21 days apart, combined with the novel adjuvant system enabled over 80% of individuals to produce a high seroprotective response, a level which exceeds target criteria set by regulatory authorities for registration of influenza vaccines. This ‘antigen-sparing’ phenomenon permits a large number of vaccine doses to be produced for mass vaccination ensuring protection for more people. Furthermore, the magnitude of the immune response to the antigen, in the presence of the novel adjuvant system, is also expected to give protection against ‘drifted’ variants of the H5N1 virus. The vaccine also had an acceptable safety and reactogenicity profile.1

Jean Stéphenne, President of GSK Biologicals, the vaccine division of GSK, commented: “Today’s filing of our new generation pre-pandemic influenza vaccine marks another important milestone in our pandemic preparedness vaccine development programme. I believe the rapidity with which immunogenicity and safety data has been generated resulting in this filing, pays tribute to our ongoing commitment to provide, in as short a timeframe as possible, credible options against the threat of an influenza pandemic.”

“As our new generation pre-pandemic influenza vaccine is also believed to have the potential to offer a cross-protective response the vaccine could be used as part of a proactive pre-pandemic vaccination campaign, giving governments and health authorities the option to initiate vaccination before or at the onset of a pandemic and potentially offering a degree of early protection against the pandemic influenza virus,” added Jean Stéphenne.

GSK are also planning to file the pre-pandemic vaccine in other countries around the world. This new generation vaccine could also be adapted for pandemic use once the causative influenza pandemic strain is identified. Indeed, GSK has already entered into active negotiations with various governments to supply pre-pandemic and/or pandemic influenza vaccines. GSK are also planning to file the pre-pandemic vaccine in other countries around the world subsequently."