Oct. 26--BAHRAIN has stopped testing patients for swine flu, except in exceptional cases.
The 'no tests policy' also includes schoolchildren who report to health centres with the symptoms of ordinary flu, Health Ministry communicable diseases section head Dr Muna Al Mousawi told the GDN.
"Though we had stopped testing adults some time ago and administered them the anti-viral treatment if they reported as suspects, we are now doing this for schoolchildren as well," she said.
"This has come about after we found that more than 80 per cent of the students that were being tested for the virus were returning negative results."
Only those who are highly vulnerable are now being tested.
"These include children and adults with chronic conditions, pregnant women, the elderly and children under five," said Dr Al Mousawi.
She said it was now the flu season in Bahrain and ordinary cases had soared.
"Since anti-viral treatment helps ordinary flu as well, it is being administered to all suspects. However, they are still being evaluated by experts before the treatment is given to them," said Dr Al Mousawi.
All suspects, including children, who have fever but no other known medical condition, are being administered the drugs without being tested.
Those with chronic unrelated conditions are being given the same drugs even without fever.
Dr Al Mousawi said a delay in the arrival of the H1N1 vaccine was not alarming. "The shipment may arrive any day now and the delay has been only due to logistical reasons," she said.
Even the UK, which had said the vaccine would arrive at the beginning of the month, had received its shipment only a week ago, said Dr Al Mousawi.
"We have ordered 60,000 doses that will be more than enough to vaccinate the Haj pilgrims and the highly vulnerable groups. More people will be vaccinated as we get more," she said.
Bahrain is expected to get over a million doses eventually, at a cost of around BD4.4 million.
Dr Al Mousawi reiterated that taking the vaccine would be purely voluntary (except for Haj victims) and anyone who did not want it was free to refuse.
"It will not be compulsorily administered to schoolchildren," she said.
Six people have died in Bahrain from swine flu so far, all of them adults.
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