Nearly six months after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the epidemic of avian influenza H1N1 or human in the world, the Cuban government announced that it is ready to face the new flu, so fall back of all medical advances with the exception of a vaccine, since it is not yet proven its effectiveness.
Dr. Luis Estruch, vice minister of Public Health of Cuba, said yesterday that to face the second wave of human influenza, the government of President Raúl Castro used throughout the medical arsenal available.
Health authorities say the island bet on a vaccine to contain a global pandemic is a risky and demoralizing.
“We still do not know if (the vaccine) works,” said Estruch, warning: “What is going to have security? That does not know the scientific world yet. ”
He also mentioned the high cost of a vaccine whose reliability has not been conclusively demonstrated.
The advanced Cuban health system and its geographic isolation has made just 435 cases were registered swine influenza in a population of 11 million inhabitants, and no deaths. This represents a 25,000 infected people, compared with 6,900 in the United States and 4,000 in Mexico.
The virus has killed at least 3205 deaths worldwide, according to World Health Organization. There have been over 250,000 confirmed cases, although most did not require treatment.
Vaccines are the focus of the battle against swine flu in many countries, including the United States.
But Cuba has another approach, and not because it is able to produce a vaccine.
The island has a Centre for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering which manufactures hundreds of products, including more than three dozen drugs to combat infectious diseases. And with 12,000 scientists, a very high figure for a country as small and poor, reflecting the importance given to medicine and science.
“If we had confidence in a vaccine, we would get. Immediately, “said Estruch.
But he added that it is not advisable to promise a cure for a type of flu that could mutate at any time. And he recalled the U.S. campaign in 1976 to vaccinate millions of people in anticipation of a swine flu outbreak that never happened.
Hundreds of people attributed to the vaccine had other diseases and claims cost the government nearly $ 100 million.
Tags: H1N1, health, Health Insurance, Influenza Vaccine, insurance, Mediacal Insurance
