Thursday, 1 July 2010

Govt officials vaccinated for swine flu


via Khmer NZ News Media

Thursday, 01 July 2010 15:01 Cheang Sokha

SWINE flu vaccines have been administered to an unspecified number of government officials and other personnel working at the Council of Ministers, where Prime Minister Hun Sen and five other officials are believed to have contracted the virus late last week, a government spokesman said Wednesday.

Tith Sothea, a spokesman for the Press and Quick Reaction Unit at the Council of Ministers, said the building had also been sprayed with disinfectant.

The Health Ministry on Tuesday released a statement announcing that Hun Sen had contracted the virus, formally known as the A(H1N1) influenza virus, and that tests had revealed “the positive sign of A(H1N1)” in five officials: deputy prime minister Yim Chhai Ly, senior ministers Chhay Than and Tao Seng Hour and officials Kim Ith and Ith Mith.

According to the statement, Hun Sen likely contracted the virus during or immediately after a meeting at the Council of Ministers last Friday.

Tith Sothea said Wednesday that officials hoped the disinfectant and vaccines would stave off any further cases.

“Since the outbreak occurred at the Council of Ministers building, the office was sprayed with protection medicine, and some officials were called in for injections to prevent infection,” he said, and added that he did not know exactly how many officials had been vaccinated.

Information Minister and government spokesman Khieu Kanharith on Wednesday confirmed that the five officials named in the Health Ministry’s statement had contracted the virus, and added that their health and that of the premier was still being monitored.

“The doctors continue to monitor [Hun Sen] and the other government officials’ disease,” he said. He declined to provide any further information concerning the condition of the officials, or to say when Hun Sen might be able to resume a full schedule.

Health Minister Mam Bunheng declined to comment.

No comments: