By COREY CONNELLY Friday, September 18 2009

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Health Minister Jerry Narace. ...

Health Minister Jerry Narace yesterday said that the four primary school students who were reported to have contracted the Influenza H1N1 virus were recovering well.

“All of the cases are recovering well from the H1N1virus,” he told the post-Cabinet news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s.

Narace gave the assurance even as he reiterated that the population should not be complacent about the virus.

“We will continue to do everything scientifically and humanly possible to effectively manage the spread of the disease,” he said.

“However, and I cannot stress this point sufficiently, under no circumstances should we take for granted that we shall be spared.”

Narace said at present vaccines to prevent the spread of the virus were still being tested for efficacy, and may not be available until November.

“We have received a proposal by a private company for the purchase of vaccines, which we are currently reviewing,” he said, adding that the World Health Organisation and the Pan American Health Organisation had not yet advised on the allocation of vaccines to specific countries.

In the interim, the minister urged citizens to avoid creating undue panic in the society.

“We do not endorse hysteria,” he stated, adding that it would not augur well for the ministry’s surveillance efforts.

Narace’s comments came one day after the ministry confirmed that a student at St Theresa’s Girls’ RC School in Woodbrook had contracted the virus.

Three other students from Grant Memorial Primary School in San Fernando were also reported to have contracted the virus within recent weeks. Classes in Block One of the school have since been suspended.

Narace said officials of his ministry and representatives of the Ministry of Education were expected to meet yesterday to assess H1N1 related risks in the current environment, revisit established protocols and provide the necessary guidelines.

Narace said the ministry had warned citizens of a second wave of the virus.

“The evidence seems to show that it has now arrived in Trinidad and Tobago and this should not come as a surprise to any one of us,” he said.

“We now have evidence that the virus is in two schools Grant Memorial and St Theresa’s RC where classes have already been suspended so as to ensure the containment of the virus and there is continuous heightened surveillance not only in schools but everywhere else in the country.”

Narace said the virus was highly prevalent in France, United Kingdom, United States and several countries in South America.

Asked if there were any reported cases of the virus at Newtown Boys’ RC School and Fatima College, Narace said he had received no such information.