Indonesia is still considering to slap a travel ban on countries affected by the newly announced pandemic of the Mexico sub-type of influenza H1N1, Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari said Friday.
“We are still coordinating with other related institutions such as the Office of the Coordinating Minister of People’s Welfare on a travel ban against countries affected by swine flu,” she told reporters during a press conference at the Juanda International Airport just outside Surabaya.
“But we are urging Indonesians having flu not to go abroad.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Thursday the first flu pandemic of the 21st century, urging countries to shore up defenses against the virus which is “not stoppable” but has proved so far to be mainly mild in its impact.
The United Nations health agency raised its pandemic flu alert to phase 6 on a six-point scale, indicating the first influenza pandemic since 1968 is underway.
So far the H1N1 virus has affected 74 countries all over the world with 114 deaths out of 28,774 cases.
Six neighboring countries (Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam) have reported flu cases.
“There are no swine flu cases here yet although there are already cases in countries close to us,” Siti said.
“We have been dealing with the spread of bird flu H5N1 in several places across the country so our stock of Tamiflu is still monitored at several hospitals and community health centers (Puskesmas).
“However, we have yet to have special vaccine for H1N1.”
Asked on the spread of the Indonesian sub-type of the H1N1 virus in East Java regions of Banyuwangi, Jember and Surabaya, the minister said there was a small possibility that the virus would mutate with the H5N1 virus.
Earlier, a researcher on bird flu from the Airlangga University (Unair), Chairul Anwar Nidom, said it would be dangerous if such a mutation ever took place.
Based on records at the Jember Lungs Hospital, there have been 13 cases of positive H1N1 infection with six infected with the H1N1 Caledonia sub-type, three of the H1N1 Shanghai sub-type and the rest were the ordinary H1N1 virus.
Meanwhile, Unair’s Bird Flu Laboratory recorded 10 positive H1N1 cases in Surabaya since 2007.
Siti said the government would request the WHO to provide special vaccine for H1N1.
“The WHO has to produce and distribute the vaccines fairly and evenly to all countries in the world in accordance with raising the epidemic status,” she said.
“We cannot allow WHO to send the vaccine only to developed countries already affected by swine flu.
“Let’s hope there are no cases here because WHO has yet to send the vaccines to us.”
Meanwhile, the Director General of Disease Control and Environment Health at the health ministry, Tjandra Yoga Aditama, said Indonesia did not have to issue travel warning because several countries conduct swine flu handling and prevention measures at all international airports.
“A visitor with flu who enters a country through an airport will be quarantined and health conditions [will be] checked,” he said.
“Similar measures are also taken by the Indonesian authorities.”
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