NI's flu pandemic precaution plan

Nearly 50 people have died from bird flu in south east Asia

Contingency plans are being made in Northern Ireland to deal with the threat of a global flu epidemic.

The government has announced that anti-viral drugs will be stockpiled. The World Health Organisation says a pandemic is "inevitable".

Dr Lorraine Doherty, a senior medical officer in the province, said they were working with other health departments.

"We have been actively working with our boards and trusts to ensure we will be able to cope," she said.

Concerns

Ministers are taking action amid concerns the bird flu outbreak which has killed over 40 people in Asia could combine with human flu and become highly infectious.

Dr Doherty said they were working with health professionals across various disciplines to ensure the province was ready.

"In this case, if you have a highly virulent virus, it can cause a more serious illness (than ordinary flu)," she said.

"We initially won't have a vaccine against it - it can take up to six months to produce a vaccine against a flu virus - and we will have limited supplies of anti-viral drugs so they will have to be used very carefully for those most in need.

"We will be left in the situation where we have to apply good infection control and public health measures in the community to try and limit transmission."

Dr Doherty said she wanted to reassure people that they were "doing everything we can to put in place defence measures against a flu pandemic".

Contingency

The UK Influenza Pandemic Contingency Plan also includes plans to ban mass gatherings, such as sports events, and arrangements for the NHS.

But the government decided against buying up vaccines as ordinary flu vaccines will not be 100% effective because the strain which would be responsible for any future pandemic has not emerged yet.

It could take up to six months to develop a vaccine once a pandemic has started.

Instead, the Department of Health is to stockpile enough of the antiviral drug Tamiflu, which works by reducing the symptoms and the risk of a carrier passing on the virus, for a quarter of the population.

Health officials will be the first in line for the drugs, with the remainder being handed out to whichever part of the population is deemed most at risk.