Individuals suffering from chronic diseases and children under the age of 5 are now eligible to receive swine flu shots.The vaccinations will be available at local clinics (sağlık ocağı) and family health centers, and individuals within the risk categories must only state their diseases or age in order to receive the vaccine; no additional proof will be demanded. According to the Anatolia news agency, people suffering from the following illness will be entitled to be vaccinated in this round: chronic lung diseases such as bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma; chronic cardiovascular diseases; kidney disorders, especially those requiring dialysis; metabolic diseases, particularly diabetes; chronic liver diseases, such as cirrhosis; blood-related diseases, such anemia and leukemia; cancer; and other disorders that weaken the immune system.
Children below the age of 5 will be vaccinated with the permission of their parents. Officials from the Health Ministry note that vaccination is voluntary and individuals being vaccinated are informed about any possible side effects of the vaccine, Anatolia reported.
Officials also note that a special form of the swine flu vaccine that does not contain an adjuvant, specifically produced for pregnant women, is expected to arrive in Turkey in early December. “However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that the vaccine with adjuvants may be given to pregnant women. The disease is particularly severe during the last two or three months of pregnancy. We recommend that pregnant women in the 20th and above gestational week should get the vaccine. Those who choose to wait for the vaccine without adjuvants may be vaccinated in December,” the ministry said, adding that the protective effects of the vaccine start at least 10 days after the shot.
Swine flu death toll increases to 11 in İstanbul
Meanwhile, İstanbul Provincial Health Director Ali İhsan Dokucu announced yesterday that two people had died in İstanbul in the last three days due to swine flu. Stating that one of the victims was a 27-year-old man, he said the other was a 40-year-old woman with cancer. With these deaths, the number of people who have died of swine flu in İstanbul has increased to 11.
