Oct. 19, 2009 (The Yomiuri Shimbun) -- The first round of vaccinations against the new strain of influenza started Monday, targeting about 1 million people who work at medical institutions. According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry and other sources, the vaccinations started in at least 23 prefectures on Monday and likely will start in other prefectures by next Monday.
Vaccinations for people regarded as more likely to become seriously ill if infected, including about 1 million pregnant women and about 9 million people with existing illnesses, will start next month.
The first round of vaccinations is aimed at workers who would directly come into contact with patients--including doctors, nurses and emergency staff--in the hope of preventing such workers from becoming seriously ill even if infected with the new flu.
At Tsukuba Medical Center Hospital in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, the vaccinations started at 10 a.m. Monday, targeting about 450 people who work at medical institutions, including doctors, nurses and caregivers, 96 ambulance officers belonging to the Tsukuba Fire Headquarters and the prefecture's 18 accident prevention air officers. The vaccinations are scheduled to take place over three days.
Nurses who visited the site received a temperature check and filled in a preexamination form on their physical condition. After being questioned by doctors, they were vaccinated and monitored for 30 minutes for any physical changes.
A female nurse, 27, who works with outpatients, said, "The vaccination won't prevent the infection 100 percent, but I'm thankful for the vaccine as it'll stop me becoming seriously ill even if I get infected."
Meanwhile, five milliliters of vaccine--equivalent to 10 shots--were delivered to Inoue Hospital in Kofu on Friday afternoon. On Monday, vaccinations for several of the hospital's nurses started after 9 a.m. Hospital Director Toshio Inoue, 70, injected 0.5 of a milliliter of vaccine into a nurse's right arm.
Nurse Kazuko Naganuma, 61, said: "I felt uneasy about becoming infected with the new type of influenza, which is highly contagious. But now I can face patients with peace of mind."
The vaccine for the new type of influenza is expected to prove effective in preventing people from becoming seriously ill if infected, rather than preventing the infection itself.
Following the vaccinations for pregnant women and people with existing illnesses scheduled for next month, the vaccinations are planned to be given to children aged from 1 up to those of third-year primary school age in December, and to parents of children younger than 1 year old in January. The whole schedule likely will be moved up if a proposal to give only one flu shot to all recipients except those under 13 is officially adopted.
