Swine flu relapse worries docs

 

Mumbai: Should Maharashtra go the Kerala way and vaccinate pregnant women who stand a heightened risk of getting infected by the H1N1 virus? This seems to be the question in the state’s mind with swine flu appearing to make a comeback with the rains.
    The civic body has recommended to the technical advisory committee tackling swine flu virus in the state that vaccinating pregnant women could go a long way in protecting at least one section of the high-risk category. In 2009, about 10% cases - 41 out of 415 - who succumbed to swine flu in Maharashtra were pregnant women. This year as well, from April till date, 17 of the 66 deaths were of pregnant women.
    Director, medical education and major hospitals, Dr Sanjay Oak, confirmed that the civic body had already recommended vaccination of pregnant women to the state. “This decision has to come from the union health ministry and the state,’’ he added. This Tuesday, a 28-year-old women, who was six months pregnant, had succumbed to swine flu in a Vile Parle hospital, while a few weeks back, a 25-year-old Bhandup resident had succumbed shortly after delivering twins.
    Health secretary Sharvaree Gokhale, however, refrained from commenting on any such decision as of now. She merely advised doctors to go and get vaccinated themselves. “The centre has given the vaccines primarily for medical persons so they themselves should be taking it first,’’ she said.
    Interestingly, a source said that authorities were looking for all possible ways to use the available vaccine doses. “The centre has clearly said that once the vaccine doses are returned, the state cannot have it back free of cost,’’ the official said, adding, “Administering the doses to pregnant women was one of the ideas proposed.’’ Till recently, the state has only managed to consume little more than 1000 doses of the 34,300 that the centre had provided exclusively for medical professionals. “The vaccine seems to be safe for pregnant women as hundreds in Kerala have already taken it,’’ the officer added.
    Meanwhile, the BMC summoned close to 300 doctors from its health posts and peripheral hospitals on Friday to alert them about the changing symptoms of the flu and protocols to treat them. Among other concerns, one was how to treat those who suffer from a relapse or a second swine flu attack. “Second attacks are quite common and quite severe too,’’ said infectious diseases consultant Dr Om Srivastava.
    Experts have observed that about 20% of those who tested positive for swine flu in the city last year have had a second swine flu attack. Confirming this, Srivastava said that there were no concrete studies about the intervals at which one could suffer a second attack. “It could be a few weeks to a few months Relapse patients have to be treated with a combination of two drugs,’’ he said.
    The BMC is motivating doctors to go get vaccinated and plans to ask the state for more doses. Since the beginning of this month, 65 people have tested positive for swine flu in the city.
Vaccination For Pregnant Women?
The BMC has recommended that vaccinating pregnant women could go a long way in protecting at least one section of the high-risk category