PM Ouyahia set to overhaul anti-swine flu epidemic strategy

The preventive measures taken so far by the Ministry of health, population and hospital reform to check the spread of the swine flu virus (A H1 N1) epidemic in Algeria will be today at the center of a government council's meeting chaired by Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia. 

• Reliable sources say that the council will hear an exhaustive report by the health Minister Said Barkat on the deterrent measures taken by his ministerial department to curb the spread of the swine flu epidemic here in our country.
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• So far, this epidemic has claimed the lives of 64 people while around one thousand swine flu cases have been reported.
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• However, the health Ministry’s campaign aimed at driving the citizens to get vaccinated against the A H1 N1 flu virus has virtually petered out as those concerned are boycotting the proposed vaccination, fearing nefarious side – effects which could even lead to death, according to some alarmists in Algeria and elsewhere in the world.
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• The imported vaccines are also shunned by the medical and paramedical staff as well as by numerous pregnant women on account of the awesome health – risks entailed as reported recently by many world news outlets notably in Europe.
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• Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia is set to take a decision on the projected import by Algeria of about 20 more million doses of anti – swine flu vaccines in view of the latest developments on the national scene.
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• Given the widespread boycott shown by the population, the Prime Minister is expected to review the pending vaccine import quotas in a bid to avert huge financial losses to the state budget and preclude the unnecessary stockpiling of the imported vaccines which could be out dated within a short period of time.
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• It should be noted that the government has earmarked a financial package amounting to 120 billion dinars for the import of the anti-swine flu vaccines which have now become a nagging and controversial issue in the health sector itself as well as among citizens.
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