Flu grips Balearics

The National Epidemic Centre in Madrid yesterday confirmed that the Balearics is now in the grip of the annual flu outbreak and that the number of cases will not reach its peak until the end of the month. Following an increase in cases over the past few days, the Balearics and Navarra were yesterday added to the flu outbreak list as the epidemic spreads through the north and heart of the country. With an average of 200 flu cases per 100.000 people, the centre yesterday announced that the first wave of an epidemic is sweeping the country, however, the flu vaccine administered last October is proving to be effective for those who opted for the jab. Hospitals in the Balearics, in accordance with the annual flu advice from the health service, have made sure that there are extra beds available for patients, but so far the increase in local cases has not been as rapid as in previous years, but the flu epidemic is not expected to reach its peak for another two weeks. Last year the first case of flu in Spain was detected in the Balearics with the flu season starting in October and lasting until May. This year a team of 30 doctors have again formed a special flu investigation unit and will be working together to collate a full report on the flu epidemic in the region this year and the results will be compared with previous years.