Health agencies to tweak approach to flu prevention

(ChinaPost.com.tw) – Public health officials will shift the focus of swine flu prevention efforts to community outbreaks in Taiwan starting June 1. They also call for vigilant efforts of individuals when visiting public places.

The current measures, which are aimed at preventing the Type A (H1N1) flu virus from entering the country, include health checks of all passengers aboard flights from affected countries, before disembarkation.

However, from June 1, the onboard checks will be limited only to flights that report they are carrying suspicious cases of swine flu, according to Director General Steve H.S. Kuo of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

In cases where an airline passenger is found to have the A (H1N1) virus, the quarantine measure will no longer be employed for people on the flight who had close contact with the infected passenger or who sat in the three rows in front and behind him or her, Kuo said.

Instead, they will be given precautionary medication, he added.

Also, the current restrictions on the movements of such travelers will be lifted, he said.

However, starting next Monday, the government units in charge of epidemic prevention and control will send inspectors to the communities that reported A(H1N1) infections to collect samples from residents for screening, he said.

Their main task will be to ensure that the chances of community outbreaks are zero, he said.

Kuo also revealed that the Cabinet-level Department of Health is preparing to lower the domestic epidemic alert level, which is currently at the third stage of yellow, denoting a situation in which imported cases have caused a second wave of infections.

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