New Delhi: In view of the World Health Organisation terming H1N1 flu as level six global pandemic, India on Friday decided to install thermal sensors at airports, strengthen screening of passengers and isolation facilities and to develop a vaccine against the novel Influenza A virus that has infected 28,774 people in 74 countries and caused 144 deaths.
''As of now there is no need to panic but every need to be careful,'' Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry, Vineet Chowdhury, told reporters here and added that adequate preparatory measures have been taken by the government to deal with virus.
He said the Health Ministry has decided to place six thermal sensors at Delhi airport which would monitor if any passenger has got fever. This augumented the physical screening of passengers coming from countries affected with H1N1 flu.
The Government has a stockpile of 10 million doses of Tamiflu which has been decentralised and placed at seven locations--Delhi, Karnal, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkatta and Guwahati - so that states could immediately treat a patient infected with H1N1 virus.
The National Disaster Management Authority has prepared an Emergency Management plan in consultation with state governments. Also, steps are being taken to develop a vaccine against H1N1 and it is likely to be made available within four to six months time, he said.
''ICMR and NIV, Pune have isolated the H1N1 virus and technology for developing the vaccine is available so we have started working on developing the vaccine. ICMR has requested the World Health Organisation to share seed virus with us,'' he said.
He said the Director General of WHO had held telephonic conversation with the Health Secretary and told him that the WHO would make available the seed virus to some country on the condition that they would make available the vaccine developed to other countries also.
The ICMR held a meeting with some indigenous vaccine manufacturing companies, including Serum Institute of India, Bharat Biotech and Panacea Biotech, on June 8 for developing the vaccine.
Two rounds of discussion have already been held at which technical details for developing the vaccine and regulatory process required were deliberated.
Regarding the requirement for seed virus from WHO, Chowdhury said that though the vaccine would be developed from the locally isolated virus strain, seed virus would be required to standardise it so that it could be effective against a wide range of virus strains prevalent in various parts of the world.
According to Chowdhury, developing the vaccine was important in view of the WHO's prediction that though the first phase of virus was mild, the second phase would be very virulent. Also the possibility of virus revisiting again and again was very high due to which countries should never lower their guard and be prepared and alert, he said and added that initially the vaccine would be given to the people handling the infected persons so that they have immunity against the virus.
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