(ChinaPost.com.tw) – The Department of Health (DOH) announced yesterday that the government is looking to swiftly bolster vaccine supply in response to the growing number of swine flu cases in Taiwan.

Shih Wen-yi, spokesman for the Center for Disease Control (CDC), noted that the CDC plans to purchase 10 million A(H1N1) vaccines in order to stave off the possibility of an occurrence of massive infections later this year during the flu season.

The CDC is also purchasing five million seasonal flu shots, Shih said.

According to data collected by the World Health Organization (WHO), the global pharmaceutical industry has an annual influenza vaccine production capacity of 4.9 billion doses.

But the figure still pales in comparison to the 6.5 billion required to meet the world demand.

Another three new A(H1N1) infections, including one that is indigenous to Taiwan, have been confirmed, Shih said.

This put the current tally of confirmed cases at 58, with two contracted locally.

Shih added that the initial eruption of the disease evolving into widespread transmission takes approximately three to six months.

This period is critical to the replenishing of inoculation supply, he said.

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(ChinaPost.com.tw) – Thailand’s swine flu cases tripled over the last three days to 150, with more expected as laboratory test results continue to arrive, a health official said Sunday.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva urged the public not to panic, but warned that “it’s not an easy fix” with tens of thousands of passengers arriving daily at airports from abroad.

“Definitely it will affect tourism, but I still think it’s better to be transparent,” he said on his weekly television program Sunday. “Trying to conceal what’s happening will only makes things worse.”

The number of cases in Thailand jumped from 47 on Friday to 106 on Saturday.

“We have found 150 confirmed H1N1 cases as of today,” Dr. Prat Boonyavongvirot, permanent secretary of the Public Health Ministry, said Sunday.

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(ChinaPost.com.tw) – The Center for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday confirmed eight new swine flu infections involving students that returned recently from a graduation trip to Thailand.

Three other students, aged 23 and 24, from the same trip had been confirmed to be victims of swine flu Tuesday, noted local media.

So far, a total of 32 cases of swine flu, or A(H1N1), have been confirmed in Taiwan.

CDC spokesperson Shih Wen-yi said more students may have been infected, given the collective infection.

Another 33 students reportedly have exhibited flu-like symptoms.

The students were part of two tour groups comprising 74

people traveling to popular tourist spots in Bangkok and Pattaya, Thailand. They returned to Taiwan on Sunday.

There have been reports of an alleged community outbreak in Pattaya where the students stayed, while Thailand has also recently verified an accumulative 16 cases.

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