VZCZCXRO7463
PP RUEHAST RUEHCN RUEHDH RUEHGH RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
RUEHTM RUEHTRO RUEHVC
DE RUEHIN #0542 1260946
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 060946Z MAY 09
FM AIT TAIPEI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1523
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 4628
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RHMFIUU/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS TAIPEI 000542 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS OES/IHB AMB. LOFTIS, HHS FOR MARK ABDOO, BANGKOK 
FOR CDC BAGGETT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR ASEC AMGT CASC TBIO KFLU KFLO MARR PREL
PINR, TF, TW 
SUBJECT:  TFFLUO1; MAY 6 TAIWAN H1N1 VIRUS UPDATE 
 
REF: TAIPEI 515 
 
 ¶1. Summary.  Taiwan remains free from the H1N1 virus, 
although authorities are still vigilant in screening 
international arrivals, and in preparing for any possible 
outbreak.  Taiwan,s Center for Disease Control (TCDC) has 
requested the US CDC provide a sample of the H1N1 virus.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  According to the TCDC, which holds a formal press 
briefing daily on the status of H1N1 activities, as of noon 
May 6, Taiwan had no confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus.  84 
suspected cases had been checked to date, with 71 testing 
negative for the H1N1 virus.  13 cases are pending test 
results.  Many, if not all, of these pending cases are 
travelers with fevers arriving at ports of entry. 
 
¶3.  All travelers arriving from overseas destinations 
including mainland China pass through thermal screening. 
Flights arriving from areas known to have H1N1 virus are 
boarded by health screeners to evaluate passengers. 
Passengers identified with fever are then sent to a 
designated hospital nearby where they are tested for the H1N1 
virus.  According to the TCDC, the test takes about six 
hours, and if the traveler tests negative he is released.  On 
May 5, a family of two American citizen children and 
green-card mother were detected to have fevers when they 
arrived at Taoyuan International Airport from Seattle 
transiting to Vietnam.  Per established protocol, they were 
taken to a nearby hospital where they were tested for H1N1. 
When the test came back negative they were released and 
allowed to continue their journey. 
 
¶4.  The Ministry of Foreign affairs has advised Taiwan 
travelers that Mexico remains on "red alert," its highest 
level of travel warning, while the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, 
Korea among 17 countries are in yellow status, the lowest 
level of alert. 
 
¶5.  On May 5, Taiwan health authorities announced that they 
have earmarked NT$20 billion (US $606 million) for H1N1 
control efforts.  This week the authorities are distributing 
2.2 million masks with the TCDC logo to be sold at 
convenience stores throughout the island to ease the public's 
concern over a shortage of the masks.  Today the TCDC 
announced that it plans to purchase additional doses of 
Tamiflu and flu-prevention drugs to cover 30 percent of 
Taiwan,s population (about 7 million people). Current stocks 
cover 10 percent of the population. 
 
¶6.  Heath Minister Yeh Ching-Chuan has stated publicly that 
Taiwan has requested CDC Atlanta provide an H1N1 virus 
sample.  Taiwan CDC has told AIT that they are already 
working with a contact at HHS and expect to receive a sample 
of the virus in the next few days. Taiwan CDC hopes to 
develop and produce a vaccine for H1N1 within the three 
months. 
 
¶7. The TCDC also told AIT that its staff, along with Taiwan 
based company ADImmune Corp, the Taiwan Bio Industry 
Organization, and Taiwan,s National Institute of Health 
participated in a teleconference organized by the 
International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers 
Association (IRPMA) 
under the auspices of WHO to discuss vaccine preparation and 
production issues.  This teleconference will be held weekly. 
TCDC sources told us that since March 27 TCDC has had access 
to the IHR website and obtain virus information updates. 
This has helped them coordinate their antivirus planning. 
 
YOUNG