<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Prepare for flu pandemic by stockpiling antibiotics
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>They would be effective against wide spectrum of bacteria, say doctors </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Salma Khalik, Health Correspondent
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->DOCTORS say that Singapore should stockpile not only antiviral medication such as Tamiflu, but also antibiotics, in preparation for coming pandemics.
Though pandemic and seasonal influenza may be caused by a virus, many deaths are instead caused by opportunistic bacterial pneumonia, which has to be treated by antibiotics.
Existing stocks would be depleted quickly in a flu pandemic.
The team of 20 doctors comprising infectious diseases specialists, microbiologists and epidemiologists in the Hospital Influenza Workgroup suggested stockpiling cheap, easy-to-use antibiotics that are effective against a wide spectrum of bacteria.
Their recommendations for enhancing Singapore's pandemic flu response strategy were released in an article in the current issue of the Singapore Medical Journal. They were reviewed and endorsed by both the Society of Infectious Diseases and the Infection Control Association.
The evidence-based consensual recommendations deal with the kinds of drugs to be stockpiled, the appropriate people who should receive antiviral medicine during a crisis, and annual vaccinations.
The experts suggested that 'just-in-time supply chains' might not be able to deal with a surge in demand for antibiotics during an outbreak or pandemic.
They listed five antibiotics which could be used for flu victims who also contract underlying bacterial infections. A sixth, vancomycin, was added because of increased infections by methicilin-resistant taphylococcus aureus, the so-called superbug which has beset hospitals all around the world.
The group also detailed who antiviral medication should go to in five different scenarios based on how deadly and easily transmissible the virus is.
For example, Tamiflu or Relenza, two flu medicines, should be given only to those who are severely ill and in hospital if the bug is generally mild, but to all if it kills one in 200 people or more.
They also suggested that the elderly, the very young, and pregnant women get annual vaccination against the seasonal flu. The elderly are 11.3 times more likely to die of flu-related causes than the general population.
The group of doctors proposed that employers should consider offering annual workplace influenza vaccination as studies have shown that it cuts down on sickness in workers.
If much of the population is protected against seasonal flu, it 'would reduce the strain on hospital beds' as well as the need for medicine like Tamiflu.
Another preventive shot which has a low take-up rate is pneumococcal vaccines for the very young and old. It protects against secondary pneumococcal bacterial infections in the sick who have difficulty fighting off the bugs.
Giving such a vaccine is an appropriate part of pandemic strategy, the experts said.
It is usually a one-time vaccine costing about $55, although a second one might be recommended for some, five years later. One of the vaccines on the market protects adults against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria, including those most likely to cause serious disease.
Pneumonia is one of the major killers here, accounting for one in seven deaths each year.
'During an influenza pandemic, cases of pneumonia may be expected to increase, adding to the high burden of pneumonia already seen in community settings.'
The experts advised high-risk people of all ages, such as those with renal failure, diabetes, heart disease or underlying respiratory problems, or those undergoing cancer treatment, to protect themselves with both vaccines.
[email protected]
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>They would be effective against wide spectrum of bacteria, say doctors </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Salma Khalik, Health Correspondent
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->DOCTORS say that Singapore should stockpile not only antiviral medication such as Tamiflu, but also antibiotics, in preparation for coming pandemics.
Though pandemic and seasonal influenza may be caused by a virus, many deaths are instead caused by opportunistic bacterial pneumonia, which has to be treated by antibiotics.
Existing stocks would be depleted quickly in a flu pandemic.
The team of 20 doctors comprising infectious diseases specialists, microbiologists and epidemiologists in the Hospital Influenza Workgroup suggested stockpiling cheap, easy-to-use antibiotics that are effective against a wide spectrum of bacteria.
Their recommendations for enhancing Singapore's pandemic flu response strategy were released in an article in the current issue of the Singapore Medical Journal. They were reviewed and endorsed by both the Society of Infectious Diseases and the Infection Control Association.
The evidence-based consensual recommendations deal with the kinds of drugs to be stockpiled, the appropriate people who should receive antiviral medicine during a crisis, and annual vaccinations.
The experts suggested that 'just-in-time supply chains' might not be able to deal with a surge in demand for antibiotics during an outbreak or pandemic.
They listed five antibiotics which could be used for flu victims who also contract underlying bacterial infections. A sixth, vancomycin, was added because of increased infections by methicilin-resistant taphylococcus aureus, the so-called superbug which has beset hospitals all around the world.
The group also detailed who antiviral medication should go to in five different scenarios based on how deadly and easily transmissible the virus is.
For example, Tamiflu or Relenza, two flu medicines, should be given only to those who are severely ill and in hospital if the bug is generally mild, but to all if it kills one in 200 people or more.
They also suggested that the elderly, the very young, and pregnant women get annual vaccination against the seasonal flu. The elderly are 11.3 times more likely to die of flu-related causes than the general population.
The group of doctors proposed that employers should consider offering annual workplace influenza vaccination as studies have shown that it cuts down on sickness in workers.
If much of the population is protected against seasonal flu, it 'would reduce the strain on hospital beds' as well as the need for medicine like Tamiflu.
Another preventive shot which has a low take-up rate is pneumococcal vaccines for the very young and old. It protects against secondary pneumococcal bacterial infections in the sick who have difficulty fighting off the bugs.
Giving such a vaccine is an appropriate part of pandemic strategy, the experts said.
It is usually a one-time vaccine costing about $55, although a second one might be recommended for some, five years later. One of the vaccines on the market protects adults against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria, including those most likely to cause serious disease.
Pneumonia is one of the major killers here, accounting for one in seven deaths each year.
'During an influenza pandemic, cases of pneumonia may be expected to increase, adding to the high burden of pneumonia already seen in community settings.'
The experts advised high-risk people of all ages, such as those with renal failure, diabetes, heart disease or underlying respiratory problems, or those undergoing cancer treatment, to protect themselves with both vaccines.
[email protected]
