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Flu epidemic to start in early December
ČTK | 20 November 2009
Prague, Nov 19 (CTK) - A flu epidemic will probably start in the beginning of December, Czech chief sanitary officer Michael Vit told journalists Thursday.
Vit said some 650 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in the 10-million Czech Republic so far.
The number of cases of acute respiratory illnesses and common influenza has been rapidly growing, especially among children, he noted.
There will be swine flu vaccines for almost one million Czechs, which is more than originally planned, as, according to the latest recommendations, only one dose is enough for most people instead of two, the government agreed Thursday morning.
Vaccination is likely to begin next week.
Czech doctors and vaccination centres are to get the vaccines by next Friday.
Vit said side effect of the swine flu vaccine were the same as those of common vaccination. Only 25 cases of side effects of seasonal flu vaccination have been reported in the Czech Republic since 2004.
Among the two million people vaccinated against swine flu in the European Union, no serious side effects have been registered until now.
Vit said it seems one-fifth of the population will get flu during the epidemic.
Copyright 2009 by the Czech News Agency (ČTK).
http://praguemonitor.com/2009/11/20/flu-epidemic-start-early-december
ČTK | 20 November 2009
Prague, Nov 19 (CTK) - A flu epidemic will probably start in the beginning of December, Czech chief sanitary officer Michael Vit told journalists Thursday.
Vit said some 650 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in the 10-million Czech Republic so far.
The number of cases of acute respiratory illnesses and common influenza has been rapidly growing, especially among children, he noted.
There will be swine flu vaccines for almost one million Czechs, which is more than originally planned, as, according to the latest recommendations, only one dose is enough for most people instead of two, the government agreed Thursday morning.
Vaccination is likely to begin next week.
Czech doctors and vaccination centres are to get the vaccines by next Friday.
Vit said side effect of the swine flu vaccine were the same as those of common vaccination. Only 25 cases of side effects of seasonal flu vaccination have been reported in the Czech Republic since 2004.
Among the two million people vaccinated against swine flu in the European Union, no serious side effects have been registered until now.
Vit said it seems one-fifth of the population will get flu during the epidemic.
Copyright 2009 by the Czech News Agency (ČTK).
http://praguemonitor.com/2009/11/20/flu-epidemic-start-early-december