Gauteng Department of Health and Social development is urging pregnant women, patients with chronic lung and heart diseases, diabetic, school going learners under the age of 20 as well as senior citizens over 65 years to immunise against H1N1 virus by Friday, 31 July 2010.
More than 120 000 doses have been administered since the start of the campaign in April 2010. During the campaign, no cases of the pandemic have been reported. The aim of this drive is to decrease mortality and morbidity rates as well as to reduce transmission of the pandemic virus within communities.
The campaign has also benefitted airport staff, nurses, intensive care unit workers, emergency services workers, doctors and HIV positive children under the age of 15. The pandemic, H1N1 outbreak started in Mexico last year and rapidly spread to other countries including South Africa. Gauteng province had 13 deaths resulting from the pandemic influenza.
The vaccine is available at all public health facilities as well as Clicks pharmacies in the province.
For more details on the H1N1 virus or the campaign, you can call the H1N1 pandemic hotline on 086 136 4232 or send an email to H1N1@health.gov.za or visit www.doh.gov.za
Enquiries:
Mandla Sidu
Cell: 082 773 9013
