Frontline health, emergency staff to get swine flu vaccine

Swine flu victims have largely been using only the Tamiflu drug to fight the virus. Photo / Greg Bowker

Prime Minister John Key says ordering a stockpile of a new swine flu vaccine for emergency workers is an insurance measure that he hopes won't be needed.

The pandemic could last up to two years and see 30 per cent of New Zealanders - more than a million people - infected.

The Government was spending millions of dollars securing a swine flu vaccine to protect health professionals and other front line emergency staff.

Mr Key told reporters the Government had ordered 300,000 doses of a vaccine from Baxter Healthcare - enough to give 150,000 the required two doses. It would be delivered within a month.

"Having the vaccine is primarily an insurance policy, we want to be in a position to have the vaccine rather than the other way around," Mr Key said.

Health Minister Tony Ryall said emergency workers were targeted to try to ensure they could maintain services while dealing with swine and seasonal flues.

"There's a large number of front line services. Its strategic purpose is to enable those people to stay well longer because of the critical services they provide," Mr Ryall today reporters. Services included health, police, defence, border management, social support, corrections, fire, some aircrew and some foreign affairs personnel - but targeted positions were staff who could be in direct contact with flu victims or virus samples.

Courses would be available for front line staff in Niue, Tokelau and the Cook Islands.

However, the vaccine was unlikely to be available until December because of the licensing process.

Mr Ryall said it could be rolled out earlier if things took a dramatic turn for the worse - but he emphasised that was not a scenario under consideration.

Medsafe would assess the vaccine before licensing it.

It would consider laboratory and clinical trial data in humans to access how well it worked and if it was safe.

Mr Ryall said there was no licensed stock anywhere in the world.

There was strong global demand so New Zealand wanted to secure supply early. It had the option to secure more and also had an agreement for supply with another company, CSL.

The Baxter Healthcare vaccine uses new cell technology rather than the conventional egg base and Mr Ryall believed it would be the first time such a vaccine was used in New Zealand.

"Not to my knowledge. This cell technology is relatively new although it has been used around Europe."

Clinical trials were under way.

The confirmed number of cases in New Zealand hit 1059 today but that was the "tip of the iceberg", Mr Ryall said, because there was less testing now under the management phase of the health response compared to containment.

About 435 people died in New Zealand yearly from seasonal flu and numbers were expected to be higher when swine flu was added to the mix.

At risk groups such as asthmatics were not at this stage to get the vaccine.

Mr Ryall said officials had not recommended it for at risk groups.

He urged asthmatics to be diligent about using preventive medication.

"Officials have not recommended a national campaign because they consider that this virus is mild for most people who get it. What they have recommended is this strategic purpose to support front line agencies once it's licensed."

No government ministers would get it: "We're not front line health or in emergency services."

Mr Ryall said the cost of the vaccine was in the millions but the actual figure was commercially sensitive.

"We are satisfied we got a good deal for New Zealand."

Precautions were being taken so the prime minister's delegation to the Pacific did not spread swine flu on a trip starting tomorrow.

- NZPA