Japan Prefectures Speed Up Flu Drug Stockpiling

Tokyo, May 20 (Jiji Press)--Nearly half of Japan's 47 prefectures
are speeding up their stockpiling of influenza drugs following the outbreak
of a new type of influenza in Japan, a Jiji Press survey showed Wednesday.

Twenty prefectures have decided or are now planning to bring
forward their purchases of Tamiflu and Relenza antiflu drugs, according to
the survey. Within the current fiscal year, they are likely to buy the
quantities of drugs that were initially planned for the next fiscal years.
Such prefectures include Osaka and Hyogo, the western Japan
prefectures hit by influenza A (H1N1).
In February, Japan decided to increase its antiflu drug stockpiles
to cover 45 pct of the population in fiscal 2011 from the current 23 pct
coverage.
To attain the target, the 47 prefectures will prepare Tamiflu for
23.8 million people in total, up from 10.5 million people, and procure
Relenza for 1.33 million, up from zero.
Of the 20 prefectures that have decided or are considering
front-loading measures, Fukushima, Niigata, Fukui, Tottori, Yamaguchi and
Tokushima are likely to complete their required stockpiles by the end of
fiscal 2009.
Prefectures without such plans could reverse course in the event of
the flu spreading, the survey suggested.
The Tokyo metropolitan government has already procured the antiflu
drugs for four million people, above the national government-set target of
2.55 million people.
The local government for Japan's capital will increase its coverage
to some 60 pct of its population, or eight million people, completing its
stockpiles in March 2011.
Before the flu outbreak, the prefectures of Saga and Mie had
already decided to meet their required levels of antiflu drug stockpiles by
the end of fiscal 2009.