Flu shots for departing OFWs proposed

MANILA, Philippines - The only group of medical clinics accredited by Persian Gulf countries said Friday it plans to give flu shots to departing overseas Filipino workers (OFW) as a precaution against the A(H1N1) virus.

Gamca, which stands for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Accredited Medical Clinics Association, said it has proposed the inoculation of workers selected by local recruitment agencies for medical exam with H3 vaccine, as there is no vaccine for A(H1N1) yet.

“The advantage here is that the H3 vaccine is meant for regular influenza, and regular influenza is worse than the A(H1N1)," Gamca president Dr. Rodolfo Punzalan told GMANews.TV in a phone interview.

He said the proposal was made to allay the apprehension expressed by Saudi Arabian Ambassador Mohammad Ameen Wali, following the case of two Filipino nurses who tested positive for the A(H1N1) virus in his country.

Aside from Saudi Arabia, other GCC members are the states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Punzalan said he would request prospective employers to spend for the vaccination, which costs between P500 to P700, so that OFWs would not have to shoulder the burden.

Gamca included the following in its proposal:

• Issuance of questionnaires for OFWs undergoing medical examination.

• Thermo-scanning for body temperature.

• Voluntary quarantine of OFWs for 7-10 days.

• Pre-departure vital signs checkup.

Under the hiring policies of GCC states, foreign workers from the Philippines and other Asian countries are required to pass the medical tests conducted only by Gamca clinics.

Around 200,000 workers go through their electronic referral system each year.

Ten Filipinos have tested positive for the A(H1N1) virus after leaving the Philippines and arriving in foreign countries. Two of them were the first such cases in Saudi Arabia and Macau.

As of June 17, the World Health Organization has reported 39,620 confirmed cases of H1N1 all over the world.

Of this number, there have been 167 deaths, mostly in the United States and Mexico.- GMANews.TV

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