Health Care Employees Must Get Priority For Swine Flu Vaccine, Says WHO Official

By Laura Woodhead – Talk Radio News Service

Health care employees should get priority for the H1N1 vaccine, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended Monday. While there is no official priority ranking for who should get the vaccine first, immunizing health care workers would insure that the health care system would be able to properly combat a possible spread of the virus said Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, Director of the WHO Initiative for Vaccine Research.

“Health care workers should be immunized in all countries in order to maintain a functioning health care system” she said. “They need to remain in good health condition to care for pandemic influenza sick people.”

While health care employees are the WHO’s main recommendation for priority, there are other vulnerable groups that countries should think about vaccinating first said Kieny. These groups, which include pregnant women and people with chronic illness, have an increased risk of mortality with the H1N1 strain. The obese are also included in the WHO’s list of vulnerable peoples.

“Obesity has been observed as being one of the risk factors for most severe disease with H1N1 influenza.” Kieny said. The Director added that “people with a body mass index over 30 or even more over 40 have a higher chance of having a severe disease.”

Kieny stressed that the WHO’s vulnerable groups are simply recommendations, and should be evaluated on a country by country basis.

“Countries will have to take decisions that are adapted to their own national situation” Kieny said. “There is an identification of options, but no ranking, no priority given to these options.”

The H1N1 vaccine is expected to be fully licensed by the end of the year, Kieny said.