Swine influenza: Information for the public and for health professionals
Wednesday, 15 July 2009
Includes FAQs about swine influenza, number of laboratory confirmed cases and guidance for GPs in the treatment phase.
Swine influenza pandemic information
Travel advice to swine influenza affected areas is available from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website at:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/ and the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) website at:
http://www.nathnac.org/
Swine influenza pandemic guidance for health professionals
The Minister for Health and Social Services in the Welsh Assembly Government has announced a change in the response to the swine flu pandemic in Wales. We have now moved to the treatment phase.
With immediate effect, the NPHS will not trace the contacts of people with swine flu or offer them prophylaxis routinely. The NPHS does not need to be informed of each diagnosed case of swine flu.
There is no need to routinely swab clinically diagnosed cases of influenza. Treatment should be based on a clinical diagnosis. Testing will only be necessary in specific circumstances, for example as part of a surveillance scheme
Treatment will be focussed on at risk groups – people who are more susceptible to developing serious illness or complications. These are all the groups at risk from seasonal influenza, plus pregnant women and children under 5.
Guidance has been issued (see above) by the Welsh Assembly Government to doctors to ensure that people in these groups will have access to antivirals within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.
For individuals outside these high risk groups, it will be a matter of clinical judgement to decide whether antivirals should be prescribed with rapid access to antivirals for all those who need them.
This advice restates the current NPHS position on ‘Pandemic Swine Flu (H1N1v) Guidance for GPs During the Treatment Phase’ (see previous document) and has been prompted by the recent media coverage of a systematic review entitled Neuraminidase inhibitors for treatment and prophylaxis of influenza in children published Online First by the British Medical Journal on 10 August,which is briefly reviewed.
The above advice has been prepared by the National Public Health Service and the Welsh Pharmacy Board. It is intended to support community pharmacists and their staff in Wales with guidance on how to limit the spread of swine flu whilst continuing to provide a dispensing service.
The above advice has been prepared by the National Public Health Service for Wales. It is intended to support dental practices and their staff in Wales with guidance on how to limit the spread of swine flu whilst continuing to provide a dental service.
The above document, prepared by the NPHS, provides guidance on suggested methods to reduce the spread of swine influenza in day, residential, or overnight camp settings.
Letter from the Chief Medical Officer for Wales on the latest developments concerning the Swine Flu pandemic and the implications for children’s day nurseries, playgroups and early years settings. Included is an attached letter from Dr Mike Simmons of the NPHS and its appendices provides further detailed information on the treatment phase and its implications for these settings.
This poster is designed for General Practice waiting rooms and similiar and outlines the important messages for the public with regard to swine flu.
Pandemic Influenza
The NPHS has a comprehensive Pandemic Flu Operational Plan ready for rapid implementation across Wales once person to person spread has been confirmed by the World Health Organisation elsewhere in the world. Details of this and of other pandemic influenza plans for
Wales and the
UK are available from:
http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?orgid=457&pid=37135
Links to other swine influenza information
Source:
Public Health Wales Health Protection Division
