Israel is battling an epidemic of Asian flu which claimed 89 lives during the second half of November according to the Health Ministry’s epidemiology department. The viral strain is of the Singapore or Taiwan variety, a mutation of a type prevalent in the 1950’s.
Young children and elderly people are the most susceptible, according to the Health Ministry, the former because they were not exposed to the previous onslaught. The elderly are a high risk group because they are more likely to be suffering from chronic respiratory problems, diabetes, heart or kidney disease, cancer or suppressed immune response.
The deaths, 40 in the third week of November and 49 in the last week, were from complications arising from the flu, Health Ministry sources reported. While the Ministry has declined to describe the problem as a “real epidemic”, hospitals report that this week alone as many as 300 people a day have sought medical attention for the illness.
The Ministry prepared vaccine to be administered to the highest risk group. But the demand was so great that stocks were exhausted within two days. Vaccine is being brought in from abroad. Doctors say the epidemic may peak in January.
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