HSE director defends swine flu action

IT would have been irresponsible not to have been prepared for a major swine flu outbreak even though that scenario failed to materialise, the Health Service Executive said yesterday.

HSE director of population health Dr Pat Doorley said pandemic viruses by their nature were unpredictable and there was always the fear that it could mutate and become nasty.

The World Health Organisation warned last week that the H1N1 virus had not peaked and that countries should continue to keep their guard up. Infection rates have been declining in many parts of the world, including Ireland.