Azerbaijan to return back unused "swine flu" vaccines?

Regarding the World Health Organization’s statement about the end of “swine flu” pandemic, the Health Ministry of Azerbaijan will make decision on fate of anti-A/H1N1 vaccines brought to the country, chief of the sanitary-epidemiological sector of the Health Ministry Victor Gasimov told APA.

He said 344 thousand doses of vaccines were brought to the country and 100 doses were used in anti-flu vaccination of the people. “We will make a decision on the fate of remained doses of vaccines. It will depend on several factors, including epidemiological situation”.

“If it is necessary Azerbaijan will return back non-used part of the vaccines, but it can be used for local vaccination against the seasonal flu”, said Gasimov.

Expert of the WHO office in Azerbaijan Vusala Allahverdiyeva told APA that A/H1N1 is not a pandemic, but it remains as a seasonal virus and therefore the vaccines can be used against the seasonal flu.

Allahverdiyeva said other part of the vaccines was expected to be used in vaccination of the schoolchildren for prevention of seasonal flu threat. “This plan was prepared before the WHO’s statement. After that the Health Ministry didn’t address our office regarding the vaccination issue. According to the reports WHO office in Azerbaijan obtained until now, the Health Ministry didn’t find or consider any change in the use of vaccines. In any case we haven’t received any information about that”.


/APA/