Update 4 | Flu outbreak in Corradino leads to inmates’ hospitalisation, doctors discuss situation

Two Corradino Correctional Facility inmates were hospitalised at 11pm on Monday, with one of them in critical condition, at Mater Dei's ITU reporting a chest infection due to a flu outbreak inside CCF.

In parliament this evening, parliamentary secretary for health Chris Fearne said that 10 inmates were found to have contracted influenza type A virus. He confirmed that one remained in critical condition.

The flu jab, he added, was offered for free to CCF residents, just as it is offered for free to the citizens. Use of the vaccine is not mandatory.

“As soon as the authorities were informed of the outbreak, the public health deployed medical officials and administered jabs to those who came into close contact with the sick inmates,” Fearne added.

Members of the public health department have been convened to discuss the situation inside the correctional facility in Paola, after that a number of inmates were diagnosed to be suffering from influenza.

Specific medical support and advice was provided to prison authorities, including measures on infection control, isolation of people who were sick with flu illness, treatment of people who were sick with antivirals, management of contacts, and vaccination to those who had not previously taken up the flu vaccine.

An eyewitness account who told MaltaToday the two men were suffering from a drug overdose from synthetic cannabinoids that were not detected by police dogs, was denied by the Ministry for Home Affairs.

The inmates, housed in Division 3 at CCF, were said to have been treated in the intensive care unit for “chest pains”.

A ministry spokesperson told MaltaToday that the inmates did not suffer from an overdose but were hospitalised "for health reasons."

The ministry said two inmates are currently at Mater Dei Hospital receiving intensive care due to respiratory symptoms. One of the inmates was admitted to Mater Dei on Sunday and a second inmate was hospitalised on Tuesday.

The ministry told MaltaToday that in both cases prison authorities called for an ambulance when the men’s health condition deteriorated. 

“The health authorities were alerted to the two cases admitted to ITU on 26 January,” the spokesperson added.

The situation is being monitored by the health and prison authorities, the spokesperson said.