Pregnant women targeted in new A/H1N1 plan
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It is the first time that the ministry has released an exact breakdown of severe cases and deaths related to the flu. The announcement came following a report by Guangzhou Daily that 80 percent of all A/H1N1 deaths on the mainland were pregnant women.
The publication quoted renowned Dr Zhong Nanshan for the story but he denounced the story as false yesterday.
He did, however, warn pregnant women of the high risk of contracting A/H1N1 and recommended that they take antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu as soon as they show signs of illness.
Feng Zijian, director of the emergency response department of the CDC told China Daily that the majority of pregnant victims had been carrying their babies for six months or more. In several cases, the babies survived the infection.
As the pandemic grows, Feng urges people to practice good hygiene and avoid crowded areas.
China's stockpile of A/H1N1 vaccines can currently inoculate 26 million people, according to official statistics.
As of yesterday, more than 31 million have been vaccinated against the A/H1N1 flu on the mainland, excluding pregnant women and children under the age of 3, according to official statistics.
Vivian Tan, press officer of the WHO Beijing Office, said given that the profile of the pandemic flu vaccine is similar to that of the seasonal flu vaccine, many countries have started vaccinating pregnant women as part of the vaccination campaign against A/H1N1.
"WHO recommends that pregnant women get the shot," she said.
The mainland reported 125 deaths in the week from Nov 30 to Dec 6, nearly 65 percent of the month's toll of 194 deaths.
Almost 10,000 new cases had been confirmed this week, bringing the total to more than 100,000, according to the ministry.
