(MENAFN - Jordan Times) Amid expectations of a rise in H1N1 (swine) flu cases this winter, the government will float a tender to purchase additional Tamiflu anti-viral medicine, a ministry official said on Thursday.
"Like any other type of seasonal flu, swine flu is expected to spread uncontrollably," Primary Healthcare Director at the Health Ministry Adel Bilbeisi told The Jordan Times, adding that the H1N1 virus infectious rate this winter will be "indeterminable".
He said the ministry has decided to purchase three million capsules of Tamiflu and JD1.5 million worth of Relenza inhalers as a precautionary measure. The ministry currently has more 2.9 million doses of Tamiflu on hand.
Bassam Hijjawi, director of the Health Ministry's disease control department, said the ministry has stopped registering "mild" swine flu cases in accordance with World Health Organization regulations.
"We will only register severe cases and deaths among swine flu patients," Hijjawi told The Jordan Times yesterday, adding that the measure, which went into effect this week, will reduce the weekly swine flu total.
The first 100,000 of 2.25 million doses of swine flu vaccine purchased by the government will arrive in the Kingdom in two weeks.
The vaccines will be exclusively for pilgrims, who will be inoculated ahead of the Hajj, upon a request from Saudi Arabia.
Since the announcement of the first two swine flu cases in the Kingdom on June 15, health authorities have registered more than 1,600 cases, including two deaths due to the disease.
By Khetam Malkawi
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