Swine flu vaccine ready, but it may not find takers

Just when the first batch of India-made swine flu vaccines are all set to be rolled out, senior government officials are saying people don’t need to get vaccinated against the disease anymore.
According to officials, the H1N1 virus that had tormented the country last year and tested the health system to the brink, seems to be receding.

Such has been the decline in the number of fresh cases that on Sunday, there was not a single positive case anywhere in the country. There were no deaths either. On Monday, only 15 cases were reported throughout the country with no deaths.

However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that in India, low level of the pandemic influenza virus continues to circulate in western parts.

On Monday, Maharashtra reported nine fresh cases, Karnataka reported four while Delhi and Tamil Nadu had one each.
Till date, India has reported 30,072 positive cases along with 1,429 deaths. While the health authorities have asked states to be vigilant against another wave, they believe that the worst seems to be over. And in this situation it is no more important for normal, healthy people to get themselves vaccinated for swine flu.

“The virus will continue to circulate in India as it is slowly replacing the usual seasonal influenza. We will continue to hear about minor cases here and there for the next 1-2 years. But there is no reason to worry, mainly because the Indian population has developed herd immunity against the H1N1 virus,” said Dr VM Katoch, director general of Indian Council for Medical Research.

WHO said that during epidemics of seasonal influenza, around 90% of deaths occur among the frail elderly, who often suffer from one or more chronic medical conditions and influenza can worsen these conditions and contribute to death.