The Ministry of Health is to spend $12 million in the initial stage of its efforts to prevent the outbreak of swine flu in Jamaica.

A big portion of that money is to purchase 1,000 doses of the two drugs, Tamiflu and Zanamivir, that are recommended for the treatment and prevention of the disease.

"We have ordered more but right now we hope we don't have to use the 450 (doses now in the island) and so far we haven't used any yet," Health Minister Ruddy Spencer told yesterday's post-Cabinet media briefing at Jamaica House.

Spencer said the 1,000 doses of Tamiflu and Zanamivir should be in the island within 24 hours.

According to Spencer, addi-tional measures have been implemented at the air and sea ports to treat persons coming into the island who might have been exposed to swine flu virus.

"The World Health Organisation has not yet developed a vaccine for this flu so what we are speaking to are those people coming into the island with flu-like symptoms," Spencer said.

"We are treating with every-body coming through our ports but we are looking out especially for those coming from Mexico, because that is where it originated," Spencer added.

For more on Jamaica's response to the swine flu threat turn to Page A6.