The Department of Health (DOH) has purchased 2.68 million doses of Tamiflu, and has placed orders for an additional 5 million doses of A(H1N1) influenza, or swine flu, vaccines, DOH Minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良) said yesterday.
“The first 1 million Tamiflu doses will arrive in Taiwan within a month, and another 2.5 million people will benefit from the additional vaccines we are planning to buy,” Yaung told a press conference at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Roche Corp, the manufacturer of Tamiflu, agreed to sell the anti-viral drug at a price no higher than the 2007 level.
Yaung said the rest of the drugs and vaccines would be delivered before the end of the year.
While waiting for local biopharmaceutical firm Adimmune Corp to produce a total of 10 million doses of swine flu vaccine to complete its contract for vaccines, the DOH decided to purchase another 5 million doses, which could be used to treat 2.5 million people, from vaccine manufacturer Novartis.
“I think we will be well prepared with these additional doses of Tamiflu and flu vaccine, as we will have enough vaccines to cover and protect one-third of the nation’s population,” Yaung said.
Responding to concerns that Adimmune Corp’s vaccine was not suitable for children under one year, DOH Deputy Minister Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳) said that the Novartis vaccine would solve the problem.
The Novartis vaccine will be used for the inoculation of children aged between six months and six years, as well as other priority groups, Yang said.
People affected by Typhoon Morakot, medical professionals, pregnant women and young children will be given priority for vaccination, Chang said.
The latest Central Epidemic Command Center figures show the nation’s number of hospitalized A(H1N1) cases had risen to 87 by Monday. Five people have died, while 42 have recovered.
Twenty-five of the hospitalized patients were aged between 25 and 49, accounting for 29 percent of the total, followed by people in the 1-6 age group, at 24 percent.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
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