Prime minister, health minister disagree over swine flu vaccination

After receiving a swine flu shot yesterday, Akdağ announced that President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Erdoğan would also be vaccinated. However, Erdoğan denied this a few hours later. Health Minister Akdağ said the vaccines will be distributed to high-risk groups in the order of priority determined by the ministry's health councils. He said he encouraged those prescribed the vaccine to get it; however, Prime Minister Erdoğan, speaking at his party's parliamentary group meeting yesterday, said people should decide on their own whether to get the vaccine. He also warned people not to kiss while greeting each other and to wash their hands immediately after a handshake as measures to avoid swine flu.

Some have been suspicious of the vaccine, but Professor Çağrı Büke, from Ege University’s infectious diseases and clinical microbiology department, said in a written statement yesterday that the vaccine did not carry any life-threatening risk. Büke’s statement said most of the debate over the vaccination concentrated on thiomersal, a preservative agent found in the swine flu vaccine, and immunological adjuvants, which accelerate the effects of the vaccine.

Büke’s statement said in a recent study, flu vaccines containing adjuvants were distributed in 40 million doses. After the inoculations, 20,000 people were monitored and no serious problems were found. The amount of thiomersal contained in the vaccine is 20 times less than the weekly limit the human body can tolerate, the statement noted.

Vaccinations are under way in many cities, including Muğla, where the regional health director, İskender Gencer, was the first one to get the vaccine. In a statement after getting his shot, Gencer said the vaccines had arrived about two weeks ago and studies had been completed to ensure their safety.

A patient being treated for swine flu at Erciyes University’s Gevhernesibe Hospital died yesterday morning, possibly bringing the death toll in Turkey from the epidemic so far to 10. However, the patient’s diagnosis had not been confirmed before his death.

The patient, a 37-year-old male, was being monitored under suspicion of swine flu, according to the hospital’s head doctor, Muhammet Güven. “The patient died within hours of checking in to the hospital. There are no underlying conditions known to us. Samples have been sent to the health directorate. We will know about the results either later today or tomorrow, but we believe that his cause of death was swine flu.”

Güven said 20-30 people had come to his hospital with suspected cases of swine flu, but said currently just one child and an older patient were being treated for the disease in the hospital’s infectious diseases policlinic. He said in both cases, there were other underlying conditions, adding, “Our child patient tested positive, but the results for our older patient haven’t come back yet.” He said the public health center no longer tests every sample, noting that most of those who flock to hospitals with fears of swine flu are not in serious condition.

“What we want is for our citizens not to panic. Unless they have very serious complaints, such as a high fever or difficulty breathing, they just need to rest at home. It’s best to leave hospitals for the use of those who really need them.”