The Swine Flew

As the number of H1N1 cases in Latvia surges, vaccines against the swine flu are not available yet. The Health Ministry has begun estimating how many vaccines could be needed, and at what price. Asked in an interview with Neatkariga Rita Avize why he's waited so long to react, the Acting Director of the Infectious Diseases Center Andzejs Johansson answered “this epidemic caught us off guard. We thought it was a fun joke. But it's not. Fun, I mean. But we work fast, and will have estimates already in February, and the vaccine could be here by June.” When asked if that would be soon enough to help Latvian patients, Johansson said “No." In response to the question what Latvians should do until then, Johansson said, "I recommend you put garlic cloves up your nose, 100g of vodka in your throat, and a dead cat around your neck.” When asked if this recipe was sanctioned by the World Health Organization, Johansson said,"WHO?"