Phuket leads the south in A(H1N1) infection

PHUKET CITY: Phuket is among seven provinces in the country with the highest incidence of infection with the swine flu virus, the state-run Thai News Agency has reported.

Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr Paijit Worajit yesterday informed the press that there have been three more deaths from swine flu in Thailand, while the total number of fatalities rose to 173 during the previous week.

The Department of Epidemiology said the flu infection still prevailed in all regions across the country.

Seven provinces were listed as having particularly high infection rates.

Of these, Phuket was the only province in the southern region.

The others included two provinces in the north (Phayao, Phrae), two in the central plains (Lop Buri, Suphan Buri), one in Isarn (Roi-et) and one near Bangkok (Chachoengsao).

In a further development, trials of a human vaccine against A(H1N1) have again been delayed due to technical problems in the production process, according to the the Government Pharmaceutical Organization.

As a result, human vaccine trials cannot yet be scheduled.

One million doses of imported vaccines would be delivered here by the third week of December and another one million doses are expected to be received by the second week of January, 2010.

Medical workers and women at about six-months of pregnancy will be the first group to be vaccinated.

— TNA