Calls to Healthline and GP consultations for influenza-like illness are low, at about the levels usual for this time of year. The Ministry of Health is monitoring for any early signs of an upswing in influenza - at the moment the rates of pandemic influenza remain at very low levels.

Vaccine update

One part of our strategy for reducing the impact of the pandemic is to include this strain in a trivalent seasonal vaccine (a vaccine containing H1N1 and two other influenza strains). The Ministry of Health has ordered trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine from three suppliers and is using its best endeavours to ensure delivery of first supplies earlier in March.

Northern Hemisphere experience suggests that pandemic influenza may occur earlier than usual influenza; this may be in mid- to late-March, leading to a peak in late April or early May. Difficulties in producing the vaccine mean delays are possible and there is a real risk that the pandemic may arrive before vaccine protection is in place, putting some New Zealanders at risk of serious illness if they are infected.

This is why the Ministry is making a monovalent (single strain) pandemic vaccine available from February through an early targeted immunisation programme. The Ministry recommends that those at highest risk of complications have this monovalent vaccine, followed by the seasonal influenza immunisation when it becomes available. Early immunisation will also be available to frontline healthcare workers, including general practice staff, who want protection.

Who is eligible to receive the pandemic monovalent vaccine?     Frontline healthcare workers - staff in general practice, emergency departments, intensive care units and those who may have direct contact with at-risk patients.     People under 65 years of age (including children) with certain conditions (as for seasonal influenza), pregnant women, people who are morbidly obese, and all children aged from 6 months to their fifth birthday enrolled in designated practices that have high proportions of people who are Maori, Pacific and/or from high deprivation areas (these practices and their PHOs will be notified shortly). International situation

The World Health Organization reports that as at 3 January 2010 worldwide more than 208 countries and overseas territories and communities have reported laboratory-confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including at least 12,799 deaths.

More information on the global progress of the pandemic is available on the WHO website: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/

The most active areas of pandemic influenza transmission currently are in parts of central, eastern and southeastern Europe, North Africa and South Asia.

The Global Influenza Surveillance Network (GISN) continues monitoring the global circulation of influenza viruses, including pandemic, seasonal and other influenza viruses infecting, or wiht the potential to infect, humans including seasonal influenza. For more information on this refer to the weekly virology update on the WHO website.