KARACHI: Following ongoing outbreak of H1N1 influenza, Sindh Health Department has decided to procure 20,000 doses of Trivalent – preventive vaccines against H1N1 virus, diagnostic material and kits on urgent basis. The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will also be requested to provide 80,000 dozes of the vaccine. This was decided at a meeting that was held under the chair of Special Secretary Health, Akram Ali Khowaja to cope up with and initiate the measures for the prevention of the predicted epidemic situation in Sindh. The meeting was also attended by Dr Sharifa Akhtar, PTL – WHO Sindh; Dr Tahir Aziz Shaikh, DHSK; Dr. Kamran Rizvi, Deputy Director Preventive DHSK; Dr M Asif Syed, Technical Officer; and Dr S Zafar Mehdi, Officer on Special Duty. The H1N1 (swine flu pandemic) strain, has affected people in less than a month in Punjab, Sindh and other parts of the country. During the meeting it was decided that isolation rooms shall be established and activated at Taluka Head Quarters and District Head Quarter Hospitals and other teaching hospitals. “We are taking all possible measures to ensure that no such incidence could occur in the Sindh. We are regularly monitoring the situation and collecting information from Hospitals on daily basis. In case there are reports for such cases, rigorous measures would be taken in the vicinity and the necessary arrangements will be safeguarded,’ said Akram Khowaja during the meeting. The meeting decided that for the investigation of particular cases, the Provincial Disease Surveillance Response Unit (PDSRU) and Regional Disease Surveillance Response Team (RDSRU) have been activated. PDSRU will cover the rural areas of Sindh while RDSRU will cover the region of Karachi. Awareness Campaigns through different plate forms including newspaper, electronic and social media will be launched immediately. An Advisory for Prevention and Control of Influenza will also be communicated to general masses through different medium. The hospitals will display banners, pamphlets and posters in the premises”, Khowaja added. Published in Daily Times, January 11th 2018.