Demand for flu vaccine, face masks sees surge

AMMAN — Demand for the flu vaccine has risen after a joint press conference held last week by Health Minister Saad Jaber and Minister of State for Media Affairs Amjad Adaileh to discuss swine flu (H1N1), according to pharmacies.

During the conference, Jaber announced the government’s decision to cut the cost of the flu vaccine in half, which brought the price down from an average of JD11 to JD5.5.

“During the time before the [flu] season, when it was most beneficial to take the vaccine, there was good demand, but not as much as this week,” a pharmacist at an Amman drugstore, who requested anonymity, told The Jordan Times on Sunday. 

The pharmacist said that the demand is “too big”, to the extent that some people, who have already received the vaccine, have checked if they need to take it again. 

“Not only the vaccine, but the demand for face masks has increased a lot as well, so much so that we had to buy a new batch,” the pharmacist added.

A pharmacist at a Zarqa-based pharmacy chain also said the demand has “increased significantly” this week.

When asked about people’s awareness of the flu vaccine’s benefits, the employee said the pharmacy held a campaign before the start of the flu season to raise awareness of the benefits and importance of taking the vaccine.

“We do not administer the vaccine at our pharmacies — we only sell it, but we ask people whether they are sick or not, because a person cannot take the vaccine while sick, so we make sure they know that as they buy it,” the pharmacy employee added.

As of Sunday, the total number of swine flu cases had risen to 292, including nine deaths, according to the Ministry of Health. The ministry added that the situation remains normal.

Pulmonologist Ibrahim Al Aqeel told The Jordan Times that death occurs only in “very extreme cases” in which H1N1 affects the lungs, which can lead to shortness of breath and lack of oxygen in the blood, possibly affecting the kidneys.

“Only in such a severe case, where the patient suffers from high inflammation in the lungs and needs to use an artificial respirator, the flu might become fatal,” he said.