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The Ministry of Health responded by saying that the country had not been informed of the presence of the influenza A H1N1 virus in Jamaica.
Yesterday, broadcaster Alan Magnus sounded the alarm: his wife, Kerry, died of the virus last Friday.
Magnus called it swine flu and said he was unaware of any campaign informing Jamaicans of the prevalence of the H1N1 virus and how to protect it.
His appeal has drawn intense social media criticism from the Ministry of Health that he has not adequately warned Jamaicans.
The opposition health critic, Dr. Dayton Campbell, also criticized the ministry for not issuing an opinion on the H1N1 virus.
In a statement released last night, the health ministry said in a statement to parliament on February 12 that the health minister, Dr Christopher Tufton, had announced that the country was on the alert against the flu.
The statement, quoted a day later on the website of the Ministry of Health, had warned that the flu was serious and could cause respiratory problems.
However, no cases of H1N1 virus have been reported.
On Twitter, Tufton also shared a February 28 Observer from Jamaica article in which he urged Jamaicans to seek prompt medical advice and to avoid symptoms of confusion related to dengue and influenza, "H1N1 being the main flu in progress"
After the Magnus alarm yesterday, Nicole, Dawkins-Wright, Acting Director of Emergencies, Disaster Management and Special Services Department of Health, said The gleaner there has been no recent case of swine flu in Jamaica.
She sought to explain that although the H1N1 virus was present, the swine flu strain had not been detected.
Dawkins-Wright said that the H1N1 strain currently reported in Jamaica and the swine flu version had different characteristics but similar manifestations such as respiratory complications.
According to the ministry, until yesterday there had been three deaths, six confirmed cases and 110 suspects due to the H1N1 virus.
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