A male in his 50s with underlying medical conditions has become the fifth person to die of swine flu. The man was admitted to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.

As the illness continues to spread, at an increased pace, Eli Bin, the director of MDA, providing primary emergency medical service provider in Israel, has instructed all field personnel to take additional precautions. Additional protective adjuncts are being distributed as well. 

Israel has also joined the growing number of countries that have ordered vaccinations for its population, a vaccine that is still in the developmental stages. Israel is seeking to purchase millions of doses in expectation of a widespread situation during the winter.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)