Tigipko: Flu epidemic in Ukraine used to distract public attention from real problems

12:50

The Ukrainian authorities are using hysteria over the flu outbreak in the country in order to distract the attention of citizens from economic and social problems, presidential candidate Sergiy Tigipko has said.

"The seasonal flu epidemic has completely pushed off the agenda the fight against the economic crisis and other really urgent social issues," the politician's press service quoted him as saying on Thursday.

"The mission of the World Health Organization is planning to study the situation in Ukraine for another two weeks, and only then draw a conclusion about the danger of the epidemic. However, our authorities have created a sensation, although they in fact appeared to be unprepared for an annual seasonal flu epidemic," Tigipko said.

"It's impossible to replace vaccination at the height of the disease outbreak and the absence of elementary means of protection with a PR campaign," he said.

"Flu is a serious threat, [but] in Ukraine they have contrived to turn it into a political tool used to distract public attention from real problems," he said.