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| Govt’s pandemic measures criticised |
25-Jun-2009 |
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By Jenny Pogson
AUSTRALIA is moving to a newly
developed pandemic alert phase this
week amid intense criticism of the way
the swine flu outbreak has been han
dled.
The Federal Government updated its
pandemic plan last week, and moved
the country to a newly devised ‘protect’
phase in response to the relative mild
ness of the swine flu virus.
Pathology testing of all suspected
cases is no longer required, and
oseltamivir (Tamiflu) can only be dis
tributed from the national stockpile to
those most at risk of, or experiencing
moderate to severe disease.
The government’s contract for a pan
demic vaccine from manufacturer CSL
would be upheld, Federal Health Minis
ter Ms Nicola Roxon said, but officials
were yet to determine who should be
initially targeted.
“The key reason we are moving to
this ‘protect’ phase is to make sure that
our resources, both drug and health
workforce, can be targeted strategically
at those who will most need our assis
tance,” Ms Roxon said.
Peak GP groups have written to Ms
Roxon urging her to include primary
care in the rollout of the vaccine.
And GPs and infectious disease
experts have criticised the lack of sup
port for primary care and the failure to
plan procedures in detail, such as the
distribution of personal protective
equipment from the national stockpile.
Australian Doctor has received
numerous complaints from GPs still
waiting for protective equipment a week
or more after they requested supplies.
The AGPN signed a contract with
the Federal Health Department to dis
tribute the equipment on 12 June —
two weeks after Ms Roxon said the
stockpile would be released.
Melbourne GP Dr Raymond Mar
tyres said after waiting weeks for protec
tion equipment from the stockpile he
received only 10% of what he origi
nally ordered.
He called for an overhaul of the
national pandemic plan, and said the
change to a protect phase with no con
tainment measures would allow the
virus to spread freely across the country.
Professor Lindsay Grayson, director
of infectious diseases at Austin Health in
Melbourne, and his colleague
Associate Professor Paul John
son, said while Victorian
authorities had done well in
establishing communication
links with front-line clinicians,
the pandemic plan was based
on a more lethal outbreak and
had failed to adapt to the
mildness of the influenza
A(H1N1) virus.
Writing in the Medical Jour
nal of Australia (online), they
said antiviral medication had
already been wasted by being
given to anyone with con
firmed influenza A(H1N1),
even with mild disease.
The drugs might be needed
next year when the current
strain could become more
aggressive, they said, adding
that widespread use could lead
to resistance.
MJA 2009; online.
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