Czech Health Ministry may make A(H1N1) vaccine available to all citizens

2009-12-23

The Czech Health Ministry is considering making the A(H1N1) vaccine available to anyone who wishes to be inoculated, according to the radio station Cesky Rozhlas. The ministry has more than over one million doses worth CZK 22m (€0.8m). The vaccine was, originally, to have been made available only to certain groups of the population: the elderly, the chronically ill, pregnant women and healthcare staff. However, only 50% of the target group have decided to undergo inoculation, despite the fact that during the last two months 34 people, many in the high-risk groups, have died from A(H1N1) virus-related complications.
The Health Ministry is worried that a lack of interest in the vaccination campaign could accelerate the spread of the epidemic. However, during the past few weeks the number of new cases was expected to fall. The government is now considering making the remaining vaccine available to the whole population in a bid to prepare the country for a second – and possibly more virulent – A(H1N1) epidemic in the spring.