Anti-flu drug stocks would cover one in five

The Government says it has a stockpile of the anti-flu drug Tamiflu to cover 21 per cent of the population should there be a bird flu pandemic.

Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor told Parliament yesterday that this compared well internationally.

"That is at the highest levels internationally and it compares with the United States that has enough to cover just 7 per cent of the population. Japan has 20 per cent coverage and Australia 20 per cent," Mr O'Connor said.

The National Party wants the Government to make public which groups will get top priority for the Tamiflu in any pandemic.

It is also questioning whether individuals should be told to stockpile the drug.

The Health Ministry's latest pandemic action plan was released this week, which is based on calculations that 40 per cent of the nation's population will fall ill in an eight-week first wave of the deadly influenza.

The World Health Organisation has warned there is a high risk of bird flu now spreading in the northern hemisphere and may mutate to a virulent human influenza which could become a global pandemic.

This would mean 1.6 million people would fall ill in New Zealand, with 1.3 million of them -- a third of the population -- sick at the peak of the wave, between weeks three and five.

Only two per cent -- or 33,000 -- who fall ill are expected to die.

National MP Tony Ryall yesterday questioned Mr O'Connor in Parliament on who would get priority to be administered with Tamiflu.

The drug is not a vaccine but can control symptoms.

Mr O'Connor said there were no predetermined priority groups.

"In fact, until a pandemic actually transpires it is impossible to determine who will be most affected."

Decisions on use of anti-virals would be made by the pandemic influenza technical advisory group with expert advice if any pandemic unfolded, Mr O'Connor said.

Mr Ryall said the draft list -- which he said had been drawn up by the Health Ministry -- should be released for public discussion so that businesses and emergency services could know whether their staff would be given the drug.

Mr Ryall said he assumed emergency services would get priority but said businesses such as those in telecommunications, airlines and petrol distribution needed to know so they could prepare for the worst.

Mr O'Connor said he was not aware of a draft list.

He also said the Government was doing everything possible to keep the public fully informed.

"Tamiflu is not the answer to a pandemic. It is one of a number of things that will no doubt evolve if, and hopefully not when, we have to respond to this," he said.

"Until we have an actual outbreak of this, it is impossible for us to predetermine what groups -- be they ethnic, be they geographical or otherwise -- may be affected by this pandemic."

Mr O'Connor also said there was no international advice that individuals should stockpile Tamiflu.

"There is no need to advise every single New Zealander that they need to stock Tamiflu."

"What we would say to every New Zealander is that the age old advice about personal hygiene -- about regular washing of your hands, covering your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze, keeping your fingernails clean and short -- are also very sensible ways of countering any possible pandemic."

- NZPA