Swine flu spread in China 'grim'

[HonestRN]

China's health minister says the nation is facing a grim situation as it tries to contain a rapid surge in swine flu.

Chen Zhu said a vaccination programme would start this week, prioritising those taking part in events to celebrate National Day on 1 October.

Children will also be treated as a priority, because outbreaks of flu have accelerated since schools reopened.

China is the first country in the world to use swine flu vaccines, after conducting successful clinical trials.

Important event

Mr Chen says priority will be given to young students aged between five and 19, vulnerable groups such as those with respiratory diseases and pregnant women, and front-line public service personnel.

But he also revealed that the vaccination programme would start with those performing in the National Day Parade.

There are at least 200,000 official participants, plus thousands of security police.

According to the BBC's China analyst, Shirong Chen, they have been pushed to the front of the queue not just because it is a huge public event that carries national pride, but because all the top leaders and dignitaries will be in Beijing.

The authorities cannot afford the political risk of any infection there, our correspondent says.

So there will not be much vaccine left for others on the priority list for now.

In the past week, 95% of the swine flu cases have been locally transmitted, and Chinese experts say infections are expected to ramp up.

About 6,000 people have fallen ill in China with swine flu.

In Hong Kong, 12 people have died.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8244358.stm

[Purple_Scrubs, BSN, RN]

So, they are putting priority on parade participants at the expense of high risk groups like pregnant women and children. Niiiice.

[indigo girl]

Stupid to have a parade drawing thousands of people with no antibodies together in one place, yelling in each others faces.

Maybe they did not read The Great Influenza documenting what happened when the city of Philadelphia insisted on having that Liberty Parade to sell war bonds for World War I. The cases of Spanish flu skyrocketed in the weeks following that highly attended event. And many, many deaths followed...