The Central Epidemics Command Center (CECC) yesterday confirmed another three cases of Tamiflu-resistant A(H1N1) influenza, but said that the virus had not spread.
“The most important thing is that all these patients have fully recovered,” said Chang Shan-chwen (張上淳), deputy minister for the Department of Health.
Chang said that the three patients included a five-year-old girl and a two-year-old girl in Taipei and a 12-year-old girl in Taichung. Physicians could not confirm whether the three girls were infected by Tamiflu-resistant virus or if the virus went through a mutation process in them.
The deputy minister said that there have been a total of 55 instances of Tamiflu-resistant A(H1N1) in the world and five of them had occurred in Taiwan.
“We have yet to consider potential changes in our Tamiflu policy at the moment,” Chang said.
SOLDIERS
Meanwhile, the military said that approximately 4,000 doses of swine flu vaccine, which will be delivered in the near future, will be given to soldiers who have helped or are helping victims of Typhoon Morakot with reconstruction.
“These soldiers will be the priority, followed by military health workers,” said Lin Yao-hsiang (林曜祥), deputy director of the Military Medical Bureau’s Medical Affairs Department.
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Pilots, sailors and military personnel who work in an interior environment will be next in line for shots after military health workers.
Military personnel under the age of 18 will be the fourth priority, followed by soldiers aged up to 24 years old, and then those aged between 25 and 49. Those older than 50 will be the last priority group for the vaccine.
ROLE MODEL
Lin made his remarks during a press conference at the Ministry of National Defense yesterday morning, when he was awarded and recognized as a healthcare role model.
“We are expecting the swine flu vaccines to be delivered to us no later than tomorrow,” he said. “Once we receive the vaccines, we will put them to use immediately.”
The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday said it had deployed patrol vessels to expel a China Coast Guard ship and a Chinese fishing boat near Pratas Island (Dongsha Island, 東沙群島) in the South China Sea. The China Coast Guard vessel was 28 nautical miles (52km) northeast of Pratas at 6:15am on Thursday, approaching the island’s restricted waters, which extend 24 nautical miles from its shoreline, the CGA’s Dongsha-Nansha Branch said in a statement. The Tainan, a 2,000-tonne cutter, was deployed by the CGA to shadow the Chinese ship, which left the area at 2:39pm on Friday, the statement said. At 6:31pm on Friday,
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