Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TALLINN124
2009-05-06 14:15:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tallinn
Cable title:  

TFFLU01: ESTONIAN PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PLANNING

Tags:  KFLU AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL 
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RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSK RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTL #0124 1261415
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061415Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY TALLINN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1131
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS TALLINN 000124 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFLU AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL
PINR, AMGT, TF, EN
SUBJECT: TFFLU01: ESTONIAN PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PLANNING

REF A: SECSTATE 45269
B: SECSTATE 45833

UNCLAS TALLINN 000124

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KFLU AEMR ASEC CASC KFLO TBIO KSAF KPAO PREL
PINR, AMGT, TF, EN
SUBJECT: TFFLU01: ESTONIAN PANDEMIC INFLUENZA PLANNING

REF A: SECSTATE 45269
B: SECSTATE 45833


1. There are no suspected or confirmed cases of H1N1
Influenza A in Estonia at this time. The Estonian
Government has dusted off a pandemic influenza action plan
prepared in 2006, when concerns about avian influenza were
at their highest. Post has spoken with GOE officials and
private practitioners about actions taken so far and about
possible future actions, should the virus spread to Estonia.


2. The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a
travel alert on 29 April advising its citizens to avoid non-
essential travel to Mexico, and on 4 May added a paragraph
to its travel advice for the United States, Canada, the
United Kingdom and Spain providing links to websites
providing information about the disease. Otherwise, Estonia
has imposed no restrictions on travelers in connection with
the worldwide H1N1 outbreak, nor has it imposed any
restrictions on trade. Although officers of the Estonian
Health Inspectorate are present at airports and the busy
Tallinn port, no thermal imaging equipment is being used at
this time (Reftel A). However, health authorities have
provided information about the influenza outbreak to
personnel at Estonia's ports of entry, and have provided
directions (such as guidance regarding which symptoms to
look for and which hospital should be used in case of
suspected H1N1 infection) to airport and port personnel as
well as to family doctors and hospitals across the country.


3. The GOE has a special reserve of 3,000 courses of
Tamiflu, acquired directly from Roche (enough to cover
approximately 0.25% of the population). In addition, around
8,000 courses are available in the marketplace, with a
doctor's prescription. Relenza is generally not available
in Estonia. Although they have no firm data at this time,
health authorities have not noticed a significant increase
in demand for Tamiflu among the Estonian public. A full
course of Tamiflu (10 X 75mg capsules) costs EEK 411
(approximately USD 35) in Estonia (less a 50% discount for
persons covered by the national health system).


4. Because thousands of tourists arrive daily in Tallinn
during the busy cruise ship season from May to September,
Post spoke with one GOE official about Estonia's actions
should a cruise ship arrive with symptomatic passengers.
The official noted that Health Protection Inspectorate
personnel posted to Tallinn's port would determine whether
to transport symptomatic passengers to the Tallinn hospital
designated for suspected H1N1 cases, or to provide treatment
on site. He noted that, unlike in other countries where
tourists have been quarantined in hotels, he could not
foresee a situation in which non-symptomatic passengers
would be quarantined in a hotel or on a visiting cruise ship
in Estonia.


5. As requested in Reftel B, post will enter this
information in the H1N1 Matrix used by the Influenza
Outbreak Task Force.


6. At the direction of Post's EAC, Post has formed a
Pandemic Influenza Working Group to monitor the situation in
Estonia, and to provide advice to the EAC on actions (if
any) to be taken in connection with a possible pandemic.
Any actions taken by the EAC will be reported Septel.

DECKER