Taiwan's department of health begins major counterattack on flu

TAIPEI: The Centres for Disease Control (CDC) of Taiwan's "Department of Health" will release 250,000 doses of Tamiflu to hospitals today as five more patients were hospitalized yesterday with serious cases of A (H1N1) influenza. The five new cases were three men and two women who live in northern and central Taiwan, said Steven H. S. Kuo, director of the CDC, at a press briefing yesterday.

Eighty people have been hospitalized because of A (H1N1) thus far. Thirty-six have recovered. The death toll in Taiwan remains at five.

Though the virus continues spreading rapidly, Kuo said the situation is in line with the CDC's expectation.

Kuo said there're abundant supplies of Tamiflu at Taiwan hospitals.

The 250,000 doses of Tamiflu being distributed today are all in capsule form. The distribution will reduce the government's stockpile of Tamiflu capsules to 260,000 doses.

Aside from capsulized Tamiflu, Taiwan also has the powdered form of Tamiflu which can be dissolved in water and administered to patients, Kuo said.

Amid concerns that the government has failed to procure enough Tamiflu in recent years, Kuo said the current stockpile of Tamiflu and Relenza is enough for 18 percent of Taiwan's population.

The CDC aims to increase procurement until there is enough medication to treat 30 percent of the population, he said.

Kuo added the CDC will try to maintain the ratio between Tamiflu and Relenza at two to one so that doctors can switch to Relenza should resistance to Tamiflu be found in patients.

The CDC will hold a press conference today to give more details on the procurement plan.

Yesterday was the first day of the new school term for many primary and middle schools in Taiwan.

With the flu raging, the first school day was marked by long queues of students waiting to have their temperatures taken.

Kuo said confusion on the first school day was to be expected, but as has proven to be the case in previous epidemics, he said, the chaos will subside once everybody becomes accustomed to the routine.

He held out that the CDC's "325" recommendation should be maintained. That means a class should be suspended for five days if two students come down with the swine flu within three days.

Some have criticized the guideline as overly-cautious. Critics argue class suspensions will become too frequent at the current infection rate. They argue it would be more reasonable to suspend a class if three or even four students catch the flu within three days.

Kuo responded that the CDC would respect any school's decision to relax the class suspension guidline.

He added, however, that schools must bear responsibility for their decisions.

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