Jordan MoH to begin vaccination of high-risk patients

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) The Ministry of Health will start vaccinating today Jordanians classified as high-risk patients against H1N1 (swine) flu, a ministry source said Saturday.

The ministry last week prepared a plan detailing categories given priority for immunization.

First to be vaccinated are 30,000 women in the third trimester of their pregnancy, 3,100 patients suffering from kidney failure, children with type 1 diabetes, people with heart failure, an estimated 109 AIDS patients and some 10,000 patients with severe asthma.

In addition, 5,000 vaccines have been allocated for medical staff who work directly with swine flu patients, while some civil defense and public security personnel will also be inoculated.

According to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the vaccine will only be mandatory for medical cadres, noting that the ministry "cannot force those who are not willing to take it".

The source added that several medics and ministry officials recently took the vaccine and have not exhibited any side effects.

"We are following up with people who took the vaccine to monitor any side effects they might develop," the source told The Jordan Times.

The Health Ministry is purchasing two million vaccines from Novartis and 250,000 from Glaxo SmithKline, with the first batch of 100,000 from the former approved by the Jordan Food and Drug Administration.

According to the most recent statistics, issued last Wednesday, the number of confirmed swine flu cases in the Kingdom stands at 2,604, with 10 fatalities.

By Khetam Malkawi