Worst flu epidemic in Kingdom of Jordan

The Kingdom of Jordan is experiencing one of the worst flu epidemics in recent years, admits physicians as reports are coming in of a conspicuously larnge number pf people falling ill.

Dr. Ahmad Irani, an internist in Amman, said he has treated three times the number of flu stricken patients this year. “My patients say this is the worst flu they have had in their lives.”

Symptoms of this year’s strain – sore throat, achy joints, and fever, are more intense and last longer and include an unusual occurrence of “temporary asthma-like” episodes. People had to take a week or more days off from work.

Unfortunately, the government does not have accurate estimates of affected individuals since Jordan does have facilities for tracking the flu. The flu vaccines, only 100,000 doses, were also inadequate and did not cover the whole population. These vaccines were designated only for the higher-risk groups or about 3 per cent of the population. Although more people demanded for vaccinations, the supply had run out by October.

According to the news I read, pharmaceutical companies determined the supply for flu vaccines based on demand from previous years and without any real forecasting provided by the government, and this is the big mistake. The kingdom of Jordan can only learn from this, and especially with the bird flu spreading across the middle eastern countries.

[source: Jordan Times]

Tags: seasonal flu, kingdom of Jordan, epidemic