Global Arab Network | Kuwait registers 443 new swine flu cases in a week

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Kuwait registers 443 new swine flu cases in a week

Global Arab Network - - Mohamed Tamer

Thursday, 03 September 2009 10:42

The Kuwaiti Health Ministry announced Thursday that 443 new swine flu cases were registered in one week and that most of the cases were light and did not have to be hospitalised.

The ministry said that the total number of cases registered in the country since April reached 1,779, stressing that most cases were light and totally cured.

Recovery rate reached 99 percent and there is no need to be concerned, it emphasized.

The ministry said it operated in compliance with guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It stressed that people should wash their hands regularly, cover their mouths and noses when sneezing or coughing, and get lots of rest, visit a doctor, and avoid unnecessary interaction with others if they get any flu-like symptoms

''strong response''

Results from a pilot study of a swine flu vaccine revealed a "strong immune response" after just one dose, British researchers said Thursday.

Scientists from the University of Leicester, central England, said they tested 100 healthy volunteers with a cell-based drug to see how their immune system responded.

Trial leader Dr Iain Stephenson found 80 percent of the volunteers showed a "strong, potentially protective" response after one dose, with more than 90 percent showing the same response after two doses.

He said, "The results suggest that one vaccine dose may be sufficient to protect against (H1N1) swine flu, rather than two.

"The aim of the trial was to find out how many doses and what type of vaccine is needed to give protection.

"These initial results should help to plan vaccination campaigns in the autumn, including doses and timings", he noted.

Larger trials are now under way around the world involving up to more than 6,000 adults and children.

The UK government plans to vaccinate large swathes of the population following the swine flu outbreak.

It is currently expected the first vaccinations of people in at-risk groups - such as those with asthma and diabetes - are expected to take place in October after the vaccine receives its licence.

Dr Stephenson, from Leicester University's Department of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, said of his study, "Results showed that the serum antibody responses were highest among subjects who received two doses of vaccine, however a single vaccine dose also induced responses associated with protection against influenza." Its volunteers were aged between 18 and 50, and was carried out at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

The number of deaths linked to swine flu in the UK currently stands at 66.

Global Arab Network

Mubarak Al-Hajeri (KUNA)

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