Human Swine Influenza

Wairarapa DHB is monitoring the national and international information regarding the human swine influenza outbreak.

Yesterday the Minister of Health announced that the country was in Code Yellow which is a heightened state of awareness and border management.

“Wairarapa DHB is prepared for a Pandemic and has been training for the past three years to manage an outbreak of influenza,” says CEO Tracey Adamson. “We have activated our Pandemic Plan to the appropriate level, and key staff are on standby should the need arise.”

Manager of Public Health, Debi Lodge Schnellenberg said the DHB was prepared to activate an Emergency Operations Centre. This includes proactively ensuring appropriate staff and services are available, and liaison with local health service providers.

The Wairarapa Public Health Service is ready to start contact tracing on anyone identified as having come from an at-risk area. No-one in the Wairarapa has yet been identified, nor has anyone been identified as having been on the at-risk flights from Mexico, Vancouver or North and South America.

Members of the public who have travelled to Mexico or North America in the last fortnight should contact Healthline (0800 611 116) for information regarding the situation. They should phone their GP or Healthline for medical advice if they are displaying flu-like symptoms.

“This situation reinforces the wisdom of having a flu vaccination each year,” says Debi. “While Swine Flu is not covered in this year’s vaccination, the far more prevalent and just as serious Brisbane Flu is. The vaccination is free to anyone eligible – please check with your family doctor.”