6 November 2009,
“I did not know that I had contracted H1N1 virus except after conducting medical tests,” reports published on Wednesday quoted him as saying.
Prince Faisal said he had received the same medication that the ministry is now offering to schools to combat the disease. “There is no need for this big hue and cry created by the media about swine flu,” he added.
He blamed the media for causing panic about the disease. “There is no need to close schools again,” he said, and added: “There is no fear. You, the media, are frightening the public. ”
He said it would not be mandatory for students to receive the swine flu vaccine. He acknowledged that the arrangements to fight the disease in schools had been poorly implemented in certain places.
He explained that some of these schools are located in far-off places and it is difficult to supply the required facilities there.
Meanwhile, Suleiman Al Shehri, director of medical services at the ministry of education, said students will be vaccinated against swine flu after the Haj break. He added that parents will be sent official letters asking for their approval to have their children vaccinated.
According to him, it was not clear whether students in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah will be vaccinated before the Haj starts and that this depends on the availability of vaccines.
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