There is enough anti-flu jabs for only three per cent of Poles, although the World Health Organization advises to stock up medicine for at least 20 per cent of society. The Polish government does not want to reveal how much anti-flu medicine it has in stock, claiming it is a state secret. However, in 2004, when Poland was threatened with a bird flu epidemic, 900 packs of Tamiflu were bought. The previous government intended to buy eight million packs of anti-flu medicine by 2006, which would cover 20 per cent of Poles, but the transaction was not concluded.
According to TV station TVN, at the moment there is enough anti-flu medicine for only three per cent, i.e. 1.2 million people. Switzerland and Finland have enough medicine for 100 per cent of their inhabitants and Great Britain for 50 per cent.
Deputy Health Minister Adam Fronczak assures that there is enough anti-flu medicine in Poland and there is no need to panic, while former health minister Marek Balicki thinks that the government does not want to reveal how much medicine it has purchased because it is afraid of being criticized.
According to the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate, there are 185 registered cases of swine flu in Poland. In neighbouring Ukraine more than 478,000 people are suffering from flu-like symptoms, 17 have been confirmed with swine flu and 86 people have died.
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