Flu Cases Almost Double in a Week - and You Can't Even Buy a Vaccine

In a single week, the number of people with flu and flu-like illness in Macedonia rose by 90.2 percent. Between 26 October and 1 November, 116 cases were registered, compared with 61 the week before, according to the weekly report of the Institute of Public Health. That's 23.4 percent more than the same period last year, and 64.1 percent above the average of the last 16 seasons.

Most of the new cases were reported in Tetovo, Kumanovo and Skopje. The largest group, 84 people, are aged 15 to 64, 25 are over 65, and seven are children aged five to 14. The epidemic threshold hasn't been reached yet: the incidence is 6.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, below the 7.32 limit.

The vaccine is here - for some

Vaccination began on 21 October, but some of those who signed up are still waiting for an appointment. The Health Ministry says 30,000 vaccines have arrived so far, with two more shipments of 26,000 and 30,000 doses expected. Priority goes to people over 65 and the chronically ill, and around 45,000 of them have registered. The maths is simple: 30,000 doses for 45,000 people from the front of the queue alone.

"Realistically there's no delay, only prioritisation of the most vulnerable," the ministry replied curtly.

Anyone who wants to buy a vaccine themselves has nowhere to go. According to the ministry, not a single bidder applied to the Public Health Centre's tender for commercial vaccines. So in the middle of flu season, you can't get a vaccine free on time, and you can't get one for money either.

Patients are already filling up doctors' surgeries. More and more people are arriving at the Emergency Centre in Kumanovo in a worsened condition. Dr Nikola Stefanovski lists fever, muscle and joint pain, a blocked nose and sore throat, and for asthmatics and the chronically ill, difficulty breathing. Kumanovo and neighbouring municipalities have been allocated 1,600 doses, and protection takes about two weeks after vaccination.

Doctors repeat the old advice: wash your hands, air your rooms, avoid close contact with sick people, sleep and rest. Good advice. But when the vaccine tender gets no bids right in flu season, who is responsible for that - the virus or the planning?