Wednesday, February 10, 2010

May 13, 2009 16:19 PM

Japan To Produce New-flu Vaccine In June

TOKYO, May 13 (Bernama) -- Japan will start production of vaccines against the new strain of influenza that has been spreading around the globe possibly in early June, Health, Labour and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe indicated Tuesday.

Quoting the minister, Japan's Kyodo news agency said the new flu strain for vaccine production is expected to arrive in Japan from the United States between late May and early June, and that the ministry will decide what share of vaccine production to allocate to seasonal influenza and what share to the new type of flu in early June.

"We cannot make light of (measures against) seasonal influenza. After examining characteristics of the new flu and the expected scope of infections, we will decide how many vaccines we will produce to fight the disease in early June," Masuzoe told reporters.

Four vaccine makers in Japan have already started manufacturing vaccines against seasonal influenza, anticipating widespread infections in the coming winter.

Since it takes several months to complete vaccine production, the allocation must be decided earlier.

Masuzoe's remarks follow Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura's suggestion to accelerate new-flu vaccine production in Japan. The top government spokesman said Monday he expects the ''spread of a second wave of infections'' in the fall.

The health minister also said the ministry will ''flexibly decide'' whether to shorten the 10-day isolation period for 48 passengers and crew members who were on the same Northwest Airlines flight as four Japanese who have contracted the new flu.

The 48 people have been examined by doctors at a hotel near Narita, Masuzoe said.

The Northwest flight arrived in Japan last Friday and they have been staying at the hotel since Saturday. In the aircraft, they sat close to the four, whose infections were the first confirmed cases of the new flu in Japan.

Meanwhile, the health ministry and Tokyo metropolitan government said that all the 10 Japanese passengers who arrived at Narita last Friday aboard the same Northwest Airlines flight as a Chinese man, who was later confirmed as having the first case of the new flue strain in mainland China, have not developed flu symptoms.

The 10 were believed to have had close contact with the 30-year-old Chinese man as they were seated near him on the flight from Minneapolis.

In a related development, the Tokushima prefectural government said a man in his 70s who returned from Brazil to Japan via the United States is suspected of having been infected with the new flu.

Detailed tests will be conducted on him. The man was in Brazil from April 27 and arrived at Narita airport last Wednesday, according to the prefectural government.

-- BERNAMA

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