Lorena Merlo, head of the regional Epidemiology Department of the Ministry of Health (MINSA) in the province of West Panama, insisted on the need for the population to go to health facilities to get vaccinated against influenza. According to data released by the Ministry of Health, influenza types A and B have caused 12 deaths this year 2025 in the province of West Panama. Health facilities have reported 4,837 cases of influenza from January to December this year. She also added that currently the coverage percentage in the entire province is at 80%, even though 151,164 doses of the influenza vaccine have already been administered in this province. Merlo detailed that during 2025, it has been necessary to hospitalize 92 people due to medical complications. Currently, two people with this type of respiratory virus remain in serious condition at the Nicolás A. Solano Hospital. She also detailed that a case of a person infected with the H3N2 virus with the K variant has been detected in the Veracruz district in Arraiján, and the patient is being treated at a medical center in the capital. This figure is below the 172,164 doses administered in 2024, said Dr. Merlo.
Influenza in West Panama: 12 Deaths and Vaccination Call
In 2025, influenza types A and B have caused 12 deaths in West Panama. The Ministry of Health has recorded 4,837 cases and is urging the population to get vaccinated, despite an 80% coverage rate.
