(News Focus) S. Korea on alert over possible flu pandemic By Koh Byung-joon

SEOUL, Oct. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea sought to stem the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) by launching its first round of vaccinations Tuesday, but public concern is still growing that the effort may not prevent a pandemic as the death toll rises.

Dozens of schools remain shut and a growing number of workers -- when they or
their family members get sick -- are being forced to remain at home for fear that
they could transmit the highly contagious virus to classmates or colleagues.
Anxiety has spiked further since the nation reported five deaths from the flu
virus on Monday, raising the death toll to 25. Monday's report is the largest
number of deaths confirmed on a single day since the first death case was
reported on Aug. 15. On Tuesday, three more cases were added, with the first
flu-linked death of a patient in her 20s.
"Coughing had been just a symptom of the common cold, but with the death toll
rising fast in recent weeks, it is no longer something that can be overlooked,"
said Lee Gwang-bok, 36, who runs a small design company in Seoul. The father of
two children, both under the age of 10, added that when someone coughs near him
he wants to move away.
"Actually, adults like me are not overly concerned, The real problem is our
children, who are more susceptible to the disease. I'd like to get my children to
have the flu shot as quickly as possible," he said.
Lee's concerns are shared by many here, especially those with young children or
relatives who are elderly or suffer from a chronic illness, as most of confirmed
death so far have fallen into these groups.
Although the nation reported its first H1N1 virus infection in early May, South
Korea had remained relatively insulated from the disease, which spread faster in
countries like the United States, Mexico and Canada. Health authorities here
focused mainly on isolating and treating patients by administrating antiviral
drugs.
But things have taken a turn for the worse. More have died from complications
caused by the new flu. Further fueling public jitters, the United States recently
declared the flu a national emergency and pledged more swift measures to stem the
spread of the disease, which has claimed the lives of around 5,000 people across
the world.
Infections in South Korea have also gained pace, with the health ministry
confirming 13 flu-linked deaths this month alone. An average of over 4,000 people
were confirmed to have been infected with the virus on a daily basis last week, a
2.6-fold increase from 1,573 infections reported a week earlier, authorities
said.
Against this backdrop, the government is scurrying to prepare for the possibility
of a pandemic by stockpiling antiviral drugs and vaccines.
On Tuesday, South Korea launched its first round of vaccinations under a plan to
inoculate 35 percent of the country's 49 million people. The first batch of
vaccinations is only for medical and quarantine staff, who are far more likely to
be exposed to the virus on a daily basis and could transmit it to patients.
But some experts claim that the latest move may not be enough to stem the flu
spread as vaccination usually doesn't begin to have an impact until after at
least two weeks.
With the virus expected to be more active in the fall and winter months, the
number of infections could also rise further down the road. Students will not
have access to the vaccination for weeks despite a relatively high risk of
exposure to the virus because they stay in confined spaces for long periods of
time.
Under the government's vaccination priority list, students will have to wait
until mid-November to get a shot, with babies and young children to be vaccinated
in December.
Some parents have expressed concerns about the inoculation drive, and are worried
the vaccine may have side effects on their children.
"I surely would be at the front of the line to have my child get the flu shot but
one thing that is still bothering me is the question, 'Is it really safe?'" said
a 39-year-old office worker with a two-year old child.
South Korea's health authorities gave the green light to a local pharmaceutical
company in mid-October to sell the nation's first vaccine for type-A influenza,
saying that clinical tests found the drug is effective in fighting the H1N1 virus
without causing serious side effects.
The government, for its part, is busy crafting measures to slow the spread of the
disease and better cope with the current situation.
Under the latest measures, even those suspected of suffering from the flu virus
can be treated with antiviral drugs. Until recently, people could get treatment
drugs only when their infection was confirmed. The drugs can be available not
just at state-designated hospitals but at most hospitals and clinics across the
nation.
They also recommend people wash their hands and maintain a high level of personal
hygiene after returning from outdoor activities. South Korea has set its disease
alert level to the second-highest level.
"Despite a sharp increase in flu deaths, it is not serious enough to declare a
pandemic as the disease poses risks on par with those of seasonal flu," said Jeon
Byeong-ryul, head of the Center for Communicable Disease Surveillance and
Response. "There is no need to panic as the disease can be prevented by observing
simple personal hygiene such as hand washing."
Meanwhile, the health ministry and related government agencies had an emergency
meeting to discuss ways to slow the spread of the flu.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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