Minister of Health Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato
Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman speaks at the press meet yesterday.

H1N1 Jabs Continue

Bandar Seri Begawan - Brunei's vaccination programme for influenza A (H1N1) will resume this Monday (March 8) at the designated vaccination centres throughout the country, the Minister of Health announced yesterday.

Adding that close to 40,000 people have been vaccinated so far and that the A (H1N1) is still prevalent judging from 114 H1N1 cases till March 5, 2010, Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi said his ministry regretted the suspension of the programme since Feb 13, 2010, as it had to ensure that the new batch of influenza A H1N1 vaccines in the country meets the Health Ministry's quality and safety standards.

"We have now received confirmation from the manufacturer and laboratory reports from Belgium and USA on the safety of the vaccine," he said yesterday.

"The vaccine has also been continued to be used in many countries globally. To date, 75 million doses have been administered worldwide and we are fully satisfied that the vaccine is safe to be used. We want to be certainly sure that the vaccine is okay for the public," the minister added.

The transmission of influenza H1N1 in Brunei continues to be active since the beginning of the year. There have also been recent reports of deaths in Singapore and Malaysia. "Hence, we strongly encourage the public to get their vaccination if they have not done so, to protect themselves from H1N1," Pehin Suyoi said.

"As for students, the ministry has informed the Ministry of Education on Saturday afternoon on such resumption and whoever has not been vaccinated should do so. For the students, we have to arrange when to continue whenever they are ready."

"We have enough vaccine to cover the population," he added. The H1N1 figures in the sultanate have neither declined nor increase. On seasonal flu which is rampant nowadays, the minister said it could be due to the hot weather pattern the sultanate is currently experiencing and people coming to Brunei from cold weather countries.

"It is something that is happening all the time," he said. "As a result, more people were coming to us for examination and this is also where we find the H1N1 cases." -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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