08 October 2009
People in Jersey are being urged to carry on with the preventative measures that have so far contained the spread of swine flu in the Island. The Island’s Medical Officer of Health says we have remarkably low numbers of cases considering levels in neighbouring countries.
Dr Rosemary Geller says the hygiene campaign, 48-hour rule for school children and treatment of contacts of confirmed cases with Tamiflu have had a significant effect in limiting infection but she warned that the disease is spreading quickly in neighbouring countries and efforts to limit infections locally must be maintained.
Last week Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer for England, announced that the second wave of swine flu has now begun, with the latest official figures showing that swine flu infections are steadily increasing. In the past week there were 14,000 new cases, a 45% leap in just seven days. There were just two new cases confirmed in Jersey during the same period. There has also been a significant increase in France, where 262 people in every 100,000 are currently ill. The French Authorities have deemed that flu has reached epidemic proportions.
“The impact of swine flu in the mainland is now becoming clear. In one Derbyshire school last week 300 of the 1,500 students were off sick with flu. We want to avoid that happening in Jersey if we can,” said Dr Geller. “I would like to thank everyone for co-operating with the containment measures but urge them to carry on doing so.
“Continued containment is particularly important as vaccine supplies are arriving on the Island and the first phase of vaccination is set to begin in around two weeks time. As vaccination is rolled out within the Island a great many cases of swine flu could be prevented all together and the severe pressures expected for the hospital ameliorated.
“The figures speak for themselves. While other countries are starting to struggle with this virus, it is not yet spreading to any extent within the Island. The majority of cases we see originate from people who have contracted swine flu elsewhere and returned to Jersey. Within our own borders we are successfully containing this disease.”
To prevent the spread of swine flu, the 48-hour rule is still in place for children returning to the Island after trips to infected areas. Close contacts of any confirmed cases will continue to be given Tamiflu, and a health task force is visiting schools to advise parents and offer children Tamiflu if a class-mate has contracted the virus.
Chief Minister, Senator Terry Le Sueur, said: "I am very pleased to see that the commitment of health staff and the willing cooperation of islanders has enabled our containment measures to work so well. We have a limited number of confirmed cases in Jersey, while all around us countries are seeing increasing levels of infection. I would urge islanders to continue with the 'Catch It. Bin It. Kill It.' hygiene measures, which have successfully kept us in containment until now."
gov.je