The state has seen 33 H1N1 cases this year and eight deaths due to the infection. (Picture for representational purpose)
Over 90,000 people have been vaccinated against H1N1 virus infection across the state between January and June 10, said state health authorities. They are now considering a proposal to study the effectiveness of the vaccination with the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), Atlanta.
A team from CDC Atlanta visited Pune recently and took stock of the vaccination campaign. The 91,214 vaccinated persons in the state include 66,142 pregnant women, 14, 472 persons with diabetes and hypertension, and 10,601 healthcare workers, said state surveillance officer Dr Pradeep Awate.
The state has seen 33 H1N1 cases this year and eight deaths due to the infection.
Last year, more than 42,000 persons had been vaccinated against H1N1, while in 2016 as many as 1.01 lakh persons were given the vaccine. There were 778 deaths and 6,144 cases of H1N1 virus in the state in 2017, said state health officials.
In the Pune Municipal Corporation area, from January till date, a total of 4,180 vaccines were obtained. Of these, 2,426 vials were used for pregnant women while 642 persons with blood pressure and hypertension were administered the vaccine. As many as 363 health workers were vaccinated, said Dr Anjali Sabne, assistant medical officer, PMC.
A total of 3.7 lakh persons have been screened for H1N1 virus and 4,077 persons administered anti-viral medication. Of the 558 throat swabs that were sent for tests, 13 persons were found positive with H1N1 virus. One person is on ventilator support.
According to state health officials, due to the slight change in the pandemic H1N1 virus — labelled as an antigenic drift — the vaccine also includes the Michigan strain (that has replaced the California strain).
In the past nine years, flu shots around the world had contained the virus that was retrieved from a sick person in California in 2009, in the early days of H1N1. However, after the World Health Organisation recommended changing the 2009 H1N1 component for the southern hemisphere’s flu vaccine, the present one includes the changed component.
Across the country
This year, from January till June 3, the H1N1 virus has claimed 191 lives across the country. Most of the cases — 134 — are from Rajasthan. Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir have registered 10 H1N1 virus deaths each while Gujarat and Maharashtra have registered nine and eight deaths respectively.