Tema, July 3, GNA - The Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate (TMHD) has vaccinated about 29,520 residents in the Tema Metropolis against the H1N1 pandemic (Swine Flu) as of Wednesday, June 30, 2010. Mr Aggudey Sika-Nartey, Tema Metropolitan Disease Control Officer, who told the Ghana News Agency in Tema on Friday, said even though, his outfit was still collating the figures, the Directorate was aware that all the 29,520 doses of the vaccine given out to the public health facilities were exhausted.

Mr Sika-Nartey indicated that six teams were responsible for the free vaccination in the Metropolis and that two out of the six were stationed at the Tema Polyclinic, while the Tema General Hospital, Kpone Health and Tema Manhean Health Centres, also had one team each. The Disease Control Officer added that the remaining one team operated within Appollonia and Oyibi communities in the Kpone-Katamanso Constituency. He said the vaccination exercise, which started on June 14, and was expected to end on June 18, was initially meant for health officials, security personnel, pregnant women, travellers and people with chronic diseases.

Mr Sika-Nartey stated, however, that it was expanded to cover the general public, especially those aged between 18 and 60 years when there was a surplus of the vaccine in the system after the exercise for the targeted group.

He said the Directorate recorded a total of 142 confirmed cases of H1N1 in the Tema Metropolis as at the end of May this year, adding that no confirmed case had been recorded in the Metropolis since May 9, 2010. He said the influenza is caused by a virus that affects the respiratory system, noting that it spreads through coughs and sneezes, as well as by touching contaminated surfaces, Its symptoms, he said, include headache, catarrh, body ache, common cold with cough, fever, general weakness, sore throat, and sometimes vomiting or diarrhoea, among others. He advised the public to regularly wash their hands with soap and water as a measure to prevent the spread of the disease. 3 July 10