Swine Flu: Three more A(H1N1) deaths confirmed in Thailand

BANGKOK, Feb 8 (TNA) – Thailand has three new deaths related to Influenza Type A (H1N1), raising the country’s total number of fatalities to 201, Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said on Monday.

The three dead victims were a five-year-old girl with congenital heart disease living in Bangkok, a seven-year-old boy in the northeastern province of Sakon Nakhon province with a medical history of cerebral palsy and malnutrition and a woman, aged 27, in Bangkok who suffered from heart disease.

Counting from January 11 to February 4, the cumulative number of persons receiving A(H1N1) shots under the national vaccination campaign reached 160,179.

Meanwhile, the number of new A(H1N1) infections rose to 25 per cent from 12 per cent, Mr Jurin said.

Regarding the death of A (H1N1) patients with cerebral palsy, Dr Paijit Varachit, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, said that it pointed out the necessity of vaccination for high-risk groups.

The government’s ongoing vaccination campaign offers free (A)H1N1 vaccines to high risk groups, including women over three-months pregnant, persons weighing over 100 kilogrammes, the handicapped, and those aged between six and 64 with chronic diseases.

Asked about the gradual decrease of vaccinations abroad, the permanent secretary explained that those countries have already given the shots to its citizens, For example the US administered 75 million doses of vaccines to at-risk groups.

Regarding the autopsy of the fetal death in Chumphon province last week, Dr Paijit said that the ministry has asked the Police General Hospital to send its test results--expected to be known Monday--to the ministry.

The health ministry will discuss with vaccine experts to evaluate whether the death is linked to the vaccination. (TNA)