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H1N1 cases hit 861 as 25 kids test positive in Nasugbu, Batangas

MANILA, Philippines – The country’s total count for Influenza A(H1N1) infections rose to 861 yesterday after 134 new cases were reported, the Department of Health (DOH) said. Twenty-five children in Nasugbu, Batangas have tested positive for the virus. But Health Secretary Francisco Duque III assured the public that all of the new cases are “mild” and they “are responding positively to treatment.” The number of patients who have been cured, on the other hand, was placed at 634. Duque said ...

DOH: 536 recover from flu

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) emphasized the “mild nature” of Influenza A(H1N1), saying that while the number of cases rose to 727 as of yesterday, 536 of the patients have already recovered. The World Health Organization (WHO) website showed that as of June 24, the Philippines ranked second in Southeast Asia for confirmed A(H1N1) cases, following Thailand which had 774 cases. Apart from this, among the 102 countries with confirmed A(H1N1) cases, the Philippines plac...

DOH eyes measures to bring down rising Tamiflu prices

MANILA, Philippines - Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday said his department will coordinate with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to bring down prices of Tamiflu medicines to make them more affordable to people at "high risk" for Influenza A(H1N1). GMANews.TV reported yesterday that the prices of flu drugs and vaccinations had tripled in some places, leading to charges of price gouging in a time of crisis. In an interview over radio dzBB, Duque also sai...

Flu shuts down more schools

MANILA, Philippines – The A(H1N1) contagion forced the suspension of classes in more schools yesterday even as education officials told school authorities to find ways to make up for the disruption. In Metro Manila, the schools that moved to suspend classes for almost two weeks included the Poveda Learning Center at Ortigas Center in Pasig City and the Ateneo de Manila grade school in Quezon City. Classes in the two schools will resume on July 6. “They should make sure to hold Saturday m...

Prices of flu drugs, vaccine triple amid A(H1N1) crisis

MANILA, Philippines – Prices of flu drugs and vaccine have surged up to three times their normal prices, aggravating the Philippines’ Influenza A(H1N1) crisis as demand from health-conscious buyers is making the product scarce and increasingly expensive. The Philippines, which is lagging behind other countries in the race for securing ample supplies of anti-swine flu vaccine, has listed 604 confirmed cases and one A(H1N1)-related fatality so far. It is now under pressure to take decisive steps...