PORTUGAL H1N1 UPDATE - SEPT 3

UNCLAS LISBON 000481 SIPDIS HHS FOR CDC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: CASC AMED KFLU ETRD EAGR ECON EC PGOV PO SUBJECT: PORTUGAL H1N1 UPDATE - SEPT 3 ¶1. As of 30 August Portugal has 2,614 H1N1 cases with no confirmed fatalities to date. 370 additional cases were confirmed in the last week. 10 patients are hospitalized, 3 of whom are in intensive care. ¶2. Health Director Francisco George estimates that one million Portuguese will be infected with the H1N1 virus and about 10,000 will need hospitalization during the pandemic peak. George expects that children and young people up to 19 years old will be infected at a higher rate over the next few weeks, because of the start of the school year. ¶3. Health Minister Ana Jorge maintains there are adequate contingency plans for schools to safely manage children who exhibit H1N1 symptoms, including temporary isolation rooms, identification of higher-risk students with chronic diseases, a school dial in help-line, and substitute teachers available to replace teachers who become infected. Jorge said school closures would only be considered in the case of a serious risk to public health. ¶4. Portuguese hospitals are expected to have difficulty managing the projected caseload increase and resulting overtime and surgery rescheduling costs. ¶5. At a September 1 H1N1 conference organized by Portuguese health officials, Francisco George described the country's early diagnosis and communication efforts as designed to slow the spread of infection until H1N1 vaccine is available. Minister Jorge said the seasonal flu vaccination campaign will begin on September 15 and projected that distribution of H1N1 vaccine would begin in mid-October. For more reporting from Embassy Lisbon and information about Portugal, please see our Intelink site: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/portal:port ugal BALLARD