Public awareness is key to containing the virus
With the death toll from Influenza A (H1N1) having crossed 200, and more than 2,000 viral infections reported across the country, one can no longer ignore the swine flu storm that is gaining strength. For now, Telangana (where 50 patients have died), Rajasthan and Gujarat are bearing the brunt of the disease but a national epidemic (deaths have already been reported in Delhi, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh; and alerts issued in Uttar Pradesh) may break out unless the Government takes immediate measures to contain the virus.
Public awareness is the key factor in this regard — since the virus has been spreading mostly through the coughs and sneezes of those who are H1N1 positive, basic precautionary measures such as regularly washing one’s hands, coughing or sneezing into a tissue or handkerchief (not one's palm) and keeping the surroundings clean, can go a long way in controlling the spread of the disease
. Individuals also needs to understand the importance of getting themselves checked by a doctor as soon as they suffer from swine flu symptoms, such as fever, sore throat and body aches. As almost all the swine flu symptoms are similar to that of the common cold, patients often delay treatment until they deteriorate to a point of no return.
Once the problem has been contained, the Government must examine as to why the matter was allowed to reach such proportions in the first place. Were healthcare researchers and policy-makers caught napping or did the virus spring a surprise that we could not predictIJ After all, since the 2009 swine flu pandemic, medical professionals have known full well that there would be outbreaks of the disease, even if sporadic and on a much smaller magnitude.
Across the board, public health professionals agree that the most effective response to a pandemic such as this can only be mounted when there is constant surveillance and monitoring of how the viral strain, that is already endemic to the country, is evolving.
In this context, the importance of a sustained effort on researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing swine flu vaccines also becomes pronounced. After the 2009 scare, the Government of India reportedly had made arrangements with at least two institutes to develop the swine flu vaccine. However, when the virus didn't return to haunt the public after 2011, the projects were cancelled. In fact, thousands of vaccine dosages were destroyed because there was no demand for them.
As a result, India has no indigenous swine flu vaccines, and has to import its full requirement. An imported flu shot costs anywhere between Rs500 to Rs1,000 whereas a domestically-produced shot could have been sold for just about Rs100. Some reports suggest that even adequate numbers of swine flu test kits are not available in all States.