Honduras Receiving 140,000 Doses of H1N1 Vaccine

The representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Honduras confirmed on November 24 that the country is receiving 140,000 doses of H1N1 Swine flu vaccine. Liliam Reneau-Vemon said that Honduras was among 95 countries selected for the donations due to its relatively poor levels of public healthcare services. There is some controversy surrounding the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. All of the H1N1 vaccines except one produced by Sanofi-Aventis contain Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative which government officials in the United States believe is harmless but has been linked by some consumer groups to autism and other illnesses.

In Canada, GlaxoSmithKline last month advised doctors to stop using a batch of its Arepanrix™ brand vaccine after a higher than usual number of patients reported having anaphylactic reactions. An ABC News/Washington Post random poll of 1,001 people in the US conducted during November 12-15 revealed that one-third of adults do not have confidence in the vaccine’s safety, up from 30 percent in October, and about two-thirds do not plan to have themselves vaccinated, an increase from 62 percent.

There are several H1N1 vaccines approved for use around the world. Five H1N1 Monovalent Vaccines have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the United States, including five injectable ones by CSL, ID Biomedical of Quebec, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics, Sanofi-Aventis, and one intranasal by MedImmune.

According to Honduras' Ministry of Public Health, there have been 583 confirmed cases of Swine flu in Honduras, and fourteen of these have resulted in the death of the individual. (12/16/09) (photo courtesy Internet)