RIYADH: With 15,500 cases of swine flu in the Kingdom, including 124 deaths, the Ministry of Health is to vaccinate people of all age groups against the flu at all Primary Healthcare Centers throughout the Kingdom beginning Jan. 9.
“Considering the onset of the third wave of the flu which will be more severe than the past ones, we are embarking on a program to cover all people irrespective of their age groups,” said Khalid Al-Mirghalani, spokesman for the Ministry of Health.
He added that 60,000 schoolchildren had been vaccinated since the ministry’s vaccination program for schoolchildren was launched on Dec. 19.
However, sources at the Ministry of Health, said, “This little number constitutes only about 0.025 percent of the total population which is about 27 million.”
The sources added that the ministry was facing difficulties in convincing Saudi citizens to take the vaccine “because they are apprehensive of its side effect.”
Al-Mirghalani said the campaign started by focusing on kindergarten and primary school students and their teachers, as well as children with special needs.
“We began the program among international school students this week,” he said.
Al-Mirghalani indicated that the vaccine’s side effects are no different from those that occur on account of other vaccines given during childhood. He added that parents who have not given consent to their children to take the vaccination are getting panicky for no reason. “The vaccine is just like another seasonal flu dose,” he said.
“We are not forcing parents to give their children the vaccine, but strongly advise them to do so as a preventive measure.”
The possible post-vaccination effects include a dull pain, redness or swelling at the place where the injection is administered, headaches or muscle pain, or high temperature and nausea. The vaccination should not be given to those who are allergic to poultry products. The Ministry of Health last week conducted a special workshop for health officials who are dealing with parents, teachers and students as part of the program’s implementation.
Arab News learned that many parents, including both Saudis and expatriates, were not enthusiastic in providing H1N1 vaccinations to their children after hearing reports about its harmful side effects.
Saleh Bawazir, deputy chairman of the Saudi Food and Drugs Authority (SFDA), said the authority received 30 complaints of side effects from people who had the vaccination but none of them was serious. He said so far there were no strong reasons to doubt the safety of the vaccine.
The SFDA and the World Health Organization have recommended that the vaccination is safe among people of all age groups.
So far, over 65 million people in 45 countries have been vaccinated against the H1N1 virus without showing any serious side effects. The US has distributed 80 million doses among its citizens.