Many still ignorant about AH1N1 Vaccine

MARANYANE NGWANAAMOTHO
Staff Writer | Friday July 23, 2010 00:00

The Ministry of Health has urged the public to take the vaccine which has been available since the end of June, but many are still undecided and unsure of its purpose.

Gabautlwe Ditshupo of Mogapinyana says she and her children have taken the vaccination and have not reacted to it.  'There was not even a pain from the injection and none of us had problems with it,' she narrated.

Margaret Bagokele of Mokgomane has not taken the vaccine though her children have been vaccinated.  'I was told I will get it later since I have high blood pressure.  But when the time comes I will go for it,' she said.  However, Bagokele says her family took the vaccine out of fear after a nurse told them there is 'a terrible pig flu that would kill them if they don't get the vaccine.'Thabo Bogosi of Mochudi has not taken the vaccine since she has not had a chance to go to the clinic.  'My child got the vaccine but me I'm still held up to go get the vaccine.  But I will go when I get a chance,' she said.  She says she has heard that the flu is more severe than the normal flu and a vaccine has to be taken against it.

Again, she heard a rumor that people die from taking the vaccine, which she has however cleared with the nurses. 'I went to ask about it at first because I heard that people have died from taking the vaccine,' she said.

Boremo Alethaeng of Sefophe says she took the vaccine although she does not know why she had to take it. Catherine Balo of Senete says they took the vaccine but they also do not understand much about it.  'We have heard about it.  We took the vaccine but we don't know how it works.  Do you know about it? Please explain for us? Do you know how I can put this phone on loudspeaker? My mother also wants to hear too,' she said. 

The AH1N1 vaccine known as Panenza is produced by the French company Sanofi Pasteur and has been tested in Europe, and proven that 'one dose of Panenza or Humenza pandemic influenza vaccines induces robust seroprotective antibody response in children and adults' according to drugs.com.

The website says that a single dose of influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccines, Panenza (15 mcg dose, non-adjuvanted) or Humenza (3.8 mcg dose, adjuvanted), administered to children of three years of age and older, and adults provides them with a strong immune response.

'The antibody response is considered to protect 93 percent or more of adults 18 to 59 years-old and 83 percent or more of adults 60 years of age and older.'

It says that children aged three to 17 years of age, 94 percent or more of study participants achieved antibody response.  Both vaccines tested met the three European Medicines Agency's (EMEA) criteria, says drugs.com. 

The vaccine has been described as a mixture of viruses that helps the body fight the virus, says aticlesbase.com and it further describes the vaccine as a dead virus. It says that after taking the vaccine, the body will be producing an antibody against the swine flu.  'You will not get the swine flu after getting the vaccine. It essentially puts your body into 'warning' mode to combat the flu so that you can get over the illness much more quickly.'

Director of public health, Shenaaz El-Halabi, also says there are no severe consequences of taking the vaccine, except for pain, redness and swelling at injection site. 

Mean while, Canada advised its doctors to stop using another batch of AH1N1 vaccines last year after reports of severe side effects in some patients, reported the online Daily Distributor newspaper.  It says that about 172,000 doses of Arepanrix made by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) were recalled after six Canadians experienced anaphylaxis, which causes breathing problems, low blood pressure and swelling of the tongue, lips and eyes.  It says that though the condition can be fatal, the six patients are already cured and have not suffered from any long-term ill effects.