Influenza vaccine administered to pregnant women from IGMH, ADK

Influenza vaccine is being administered to pregnant women from Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital and ADK Hospital amid the outbreak of H1N1 influenza (swine flu) in the country.

Pregnant women are categorized as a high-risk group for the H1N1 virus.

Chief Medical Officer of ADK Hospital, Dr. Abdulla Niyaf – who is also a member of the taskforce set up to combat the outbreak – said that the Health Protection Agency has instructed that the vaccine be administered only to pregnant women for the time being.

Influenza vaccine will be administered to pregnant women at IGMH from its Reproductive Health Clinic until 6 pm, this Wednesday, and from 8 am to 4 pm starting next Thursday.

The vaccine will be administered at ADK Hospital from its Vaccination Room on the second floor of the hospital from 3 pm to 6 pm every day, except for Fridays.

The vaccine is not covered through the Aasandha scheme and costs MVR 130. The money needs to be paid from the hospitals to Health Protection Agency which has provided the vaccine.

Women need to bring their national identity cards and antenatal cards.

An emergency C-section was performed on a pregnant woman with symptoms of the H1N1 virus last Tuesday night.

Both the woman and the infant – surgically removed at 6 months – are in critical condition and show no signs of improvement, according to IGMH.