Swine influenza (H1N1)

The Health Protection Agency has prepared advice for the public, industry and for healthcare professionals on swine influenza. The website address is www.hpa.org.uk/  which includes a pandemic flu weekly update on the site. We would strongly suggest that you visit the website as it contains the most up to date and useful information.   

Precautions

• It is for ship operators, depending on crew numbers and voyage patterns, to decide if they should carry supplies of specific influenza treatments such as 'tamiflu'. All should ensure that they have the required quantities of palliatives for raised temperatures and headaches, such as paracetamol etc.
• The provision of antivirals has particular problems, given that supplies are limited. It would be for an individual ship operator to make a decision based on their risk assessment and then to purchase any required supplies from a marine pharmacy supplier.  At this stage there are no specific plans about immunisation priorities, but again it would depend on risk for a particular pattern of ship operation.
• Before crew join a vessel they should be screened and if they have any flu like symptoms themselves or if they have been in close contact with someone who has had such symptoms in the last five days they should not be taken aboard, unless they have themselves already had flu and fully recovered from it.
• Nasal hygiene (use of disposable tissues which are immediately discarded, avoiding open coughing and sneezing, hand washing after nose or tissue contact) should be required. Masks are unlikely to be practicable for continuous use at sea.
• UK stocks of swine flu vaccines have begun to arrive, but until these are licensed they will not be used. The Government has agreed a first phase of the vaccination programme which will target those most at risk including health and social care workers. The Government is waiting for advice on who might be included in the second phase of the vaccination programme.

Flu or suspected flu on board

• The key point is that swine flu is a highly infectious disease, and anyone showing symptoms should be treated accordingly. There is guidance in Chapter 6 of the Ship Captain's Medical Guide or Chapter 23 of the International Medical Guide for Ships (3rd edition).
• If crew members have flu like symptoms they should, if possible, be taken off duties and given the available remedies. It is likely that if a crew member does have the new strain of flu other crew members will have already been infected by them. If the ill crew member becomes severely unwell, especially if they develop a productive cough, radio medical advice should be obtained.
• Masters should recognise if the pattern of illness is such that the safe manning of the vessel is compromised. If so they should be advised by the operator that they are free to adjust voyage patterns and avoid tasks such as complex cargo handling that may require the full complement of crew. They should also be aware that those with symptoms are likely to have impaired performance when doing demanding safety critical tasks and they should ensure, for instance, that those with symptoms are not the sole bridge watch keeper.
• If you have a suspected case on board when entering a UK port you should contact the local Port Health Authority to check what precautions/arrangements they may have in place.
• Health Authorities will issue advice on any ports that ships should not enter and on other precautions. This should be followed where practicable.