Flu Vaccine Here

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31881, 8 January 1969, Page 1

Flu Vaccine Here

(N.Z. Press Association) PALMERSTON NORTH, January 7. The first batch of Hong Kong flu vaccine arrived by

air today in Palmerston North from England. The distributors of the vaccine do not expect the supplies to be sufficient to meet all orders. A spokesman said the company was waiting on more supplies, due by the end of February. The vaccine shortage was world-wide, and manufacturers in Australia were “flat out," he said. Vaccine manufacturers were not able to meet the

problem effectively, one reason being that the appropriate vaccine could not be produced until the flu virus strain had been isolated.

He said the vaccine would be allocated by doctors, with elderly people, persons with heart conditions, and expectant mothers taking precedence. New Zealand’s three influenza surveillance laboratories were closely watching for the arrival of the virus, the Assistant Director of Public Health (Dr B. W. Christmas) said today. In addition, practitioners

throughout the country were working with medical officers of health in reporting any influenza-like illnesses. This work by voluntary groups was in conjunction with an international surveillance project on influenza, started by the World Health Organisation last year. “When any cases of influenza come to light, the three surveillance laboratories—at Auckland. Wellington and Dunedin—act as reference centres. They identify the virus and advise the Health Department,” Dr Christmas said.