Galery

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The delivery of 2 million non immune boosting vaccines is discussed by the National commission of flu pandemic. This is also the bone of contention for scientists, who are arguing whether immune boosters cause harmful side effects for children and pregnant women.

The number of pharmacists, who claim that there is no reason to worry when taking immune boosters, is increasing. Pharmacists claim that for now clinic tests show that the immune boosters are not toxic for the human body.

Experts explained that the vaccines are two types: with and without immune boosters. One of the three pharmaceutical companies, which imports the vaccines in Greece offered to import such immune boosters but asked for a quick response by the National commission for flu pandemic. “We will be certain of whether swine flu vaccine immune boosters are harmful or not for the human body in April 2010. In other words, right now humanity is participating in a large scale experiment,” said a lector from Columbia University, Angelos Stergiou.

He claims that swine flu is taking its normal course and he does not advise children and pregnant women to get vaccinated. Vaccines offered in the US are without immune boosters and Mr. Stergiou supports the opinion that they are good for everybody but expresses his doubt about vaccines offered in Europe.

1 912 people were vaccinated in Greece – doctors and medical staff – during the first days of vaccinations this week. Yesterday not many people went to get vaccinated as well, but a reason for this might be the Polytechnic University celebration, which forced many people to remain at their homes and many medical centers were closed. Experts noted that they were expecting this because Greeks are reserved towards the vaccine.

On the other hand the medical staff in one Athenian children’s hospital said they will not get vaccinated. Many swine flu infected children have passed through the hospital and doctors and nurses claim they have adopted a natural immune system against the flu.

The pandemic is getting stronger in the country – from the beginning of the week 107 grades were dismissed in Attica and five kindergartens have closed, in order to limit the flu spread. Despite the doctor’s efforts the flu took its eighth victim. A 42 year old patient, who was admitted in the hospital on Monday, died because he had a severe bronchopneumonia, which developed as a result of the H1N1 infection.