Team to study re-emergence of A(H1NI) in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram: In response to a request from Kerala, a team of public health experts deputed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will be in the State during the week to conduct an epidemiological study into the re-emergence of the A(H1N1) virus in Kerala during the monsoon season and its behaviour.

The Ministry has also sanctioned the States request for additional stock of six lakh Oseltamivir tablets and 20,000 bottles of paediatric syrup. Keralas request for 31,000 doses of �Sanafu, the A(H1N1) vaccine imported by the Centre for use among public health personnel, has also been approved.

�We have requested one lakh doses of Sanafu vaccine, which is recommended as safe for use among pregnant women and children.

We pointed out that we had an unusually high number of H1N1 deaths among pregnant women this season. The Ministry told us that a high-level committee is looking into this and a decision will be taken soon, Health Secretary (Health and Family Welfare), Manoj Joshi, told The Hindu.