Swine flu: Midland tourists ‘in dark about outbreak’
PASSENGERS arriving in Birmingham from Mexico today claimed they had been kept in the dark over the swine flu crisis.
Nearly 300 holidaymakers arrived at Birmingham International Airport, with some suggesting the Mexican authorities were “hush-hushing” the extent of the outbreak.
The Thomson flight TOM578 from Cancun touched down at 8.30am, with doctors and nurses waiting to check on the health of the passengers and offer help to anyone feeling unwell.
Everyone on the flight was asked if they had any flu symptoms and all confirmed they were feeling well.
Passengers who were met by a crowd of journalists, said they were surprised at the level of media coverage after they were told very little about the virus while in Mexico.
Jenny Jones, from Acocks Green, said: “We’ve heard very little about it.
“The first we heard was in a newspaper today.
“We don’t really understand the implications and don’t think we’ve been exposed to anything.
“People who have been exposed were in Mexico City.”
Jo Hodgkinson, from Sheldon, said she knew nothing about the outbreak until the airport transfer for the flight back to Birmingham.
She said: “Nothing has really happened, we weren’t told anything in Mexico, no-one asked us if we were feeling unwell, we weren’t given any information.”
Ken Roberts from Henley Green, Coventry, said: “It’s not affected us at all. I didn’t know about it until I watched BBC 24.
