Thailand targets 3mln flu shots for public

BANGKOK, July 14 (TNA) - Thai health authorities will endeavour to give out 3 million flu shots to individuals “at risk” free of charge by this month, after up to 41,000 people fell ill with the disease in the first half of this year. Dr Narong Sahametapat, permanent secretary of the Thai Ministry of Public Health, said influenza started to spread due to the ongoing rainy season. The ministry is offering vaccines for H1N1 or 2009 influenza, H3N2 and B influenza virus free of charge to people aged 65 and above, women who have been with pregnancy for at least four months, children aged from six months to two years and people with seven chronic diseases. So far, up to 1,600,000 people had received vaccination during the May-July period. The Bureau of Epidemiology reported that during the January-July period this year at least 41,000 people have been diagnosed with influenza and 56 of them died from it. Most death cases involved chronic diseases. The number of patients rose by almost 3 times year-on-year. Without effective control, the number is feared to peak at up to 26,000 monthly during the months of August and September. (TNA)