Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, Taiwan | CDC EID

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Volume 16, Number 8–August 2010
Dispatch
Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Vaccination and Class Suspensions after Outbreaks, Taipei City, Taiwan
Po-Ren Hsueh, Ping-Ing Lee, Allen Wen-Hsiang Chiu, and Muh-Yong Yen
National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan (P.-R. Hsueh, P.-I. Lee); and Taipei City Hospital, Taipei (A. Wen-Hsiang Chiu, M.-Y. Yen)

Suggested citation for this article

Abstract
In Taipei City, class suspensions were implemented beginning September 1, 2009 when transmission of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 infection was suspected. The uptake rate of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccination (starting on November 16, 2009) among students 7–18 years of age was 74.7%. Outbreaks were mitigated after late November 2009.
As of April 25, 2010, >214 countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic (H1N1) 2009, including >17,919 deaths. Preparedness measures such as having substantial antiviral drug stockpiles for treatment and chemoprophylaxis and implementation of vaccination programs are considered crucial for effective control of the pandemic (1,2). In many countries, vaccination programs for pandemic (H1N1) 2009 were implemented by the end of 2009.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that nonpharmaceutical interventions should be implemented to reduce influenza transmission between persons after an outbreak and before vaccination programs begin (3). During the 1918–19 and 2009 influenza pandemics, class suspension and school closures, either reactively following outbreaks or proactively at a regional level, were implemented by many countries (4–8). CDC guidance suggests that during an influenza outbreak, policymakers should weigh the advantages and disadvantages of school closures before making a decision (9).

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Suggested Citation for this Article
Hsueh P-R, Lee P-I, Wen-Hsiang Chiu A, Yen M-Y. Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 vaccination and class suspensions after outbreaks, Taipei City, Taiwan. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2010 Aug [date cited]. http://www.cdc.gov/EID/content/16/8/1309.htm

DOI: 10.3201/eid1608.100310