People With Flu Symptoms Not To Be Allowed
To Public Buildings
The ministrad de Salud, María Luisa Ávila,
is asking businesses not to allow workers
showing signs of symptoms similar to the
AH1N1 and to use the right to refuse
admission to visitors.
Ávila said that Article 155 of the Ley
General de Salud supports the drastic
measure to deny anyone infected with a
transmittable disease entrance to a public
or private building, like a school, a place
of work, place of public meeting, etc.
The ministra added that employees should
promote health standards to eliminate the
spread of the virus, asking employees to
wash their hands (correctly) often and to
take care when sneezing or coughing.
The ministra explained that the sharing of
tools and equipment at work should be
limited, especially when it comes to the
sharing of personal items like helmets,
eyeglasses, gloves, etc. and avoid greetings
with a kiss or a handshake.
Costa Rica To Buy Vaccine
The ministra added that patients in the
high risk group and health workers will be
the first to receive the AH1N1 vaccine when
it arrives in Costa Rica.
Ministra Ávila explained that the country
will buy the vaccine with funds from the
Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS).
The first stage of vaccination will include
345.000 people, which includes 45.000 health
workers (doctors, nurses, assistants, etc).
Ávila said the numbers are preliminary and
will be fixed over the coming days. "We
still do not have clear how many vaccines
will be will request and we don't know how
may (vaccines) the OPS can negotiate", said
Ávila.
The vaccination program is to protect those
in direct contact with the virus and those
in the high risk group, like the obese,
diabetics and smokers.
Five laboratories (two in Australia and
three in Europe) are producing the vaccine
and the first of such could be in Costa Rica
September or October.
The vice-ministra de Salud, Ana Morice,
explained that rich countries like the US
negotiate the price of the vaccine directly
from the manufacturers, while poor countries
like Costa Rica have to rely on the OPS to
negotiate the best price and make the
purchases.
To date there are 24 deaths (21 confirmed),
668 confirmed cases of infection, 814
waiting test results. Since April 24, the
ministerio de Salud has investigated a total
of 5.422 cases of possible infection.
Of the 21 confirmed deaths, the majority are
in the province of San José ( with 52%),
followed by Heredia with 19% and Alajuela
with 14%. Only one death has been recorted
outside of San José, one in the province of
Limón. |
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