Swine flu infected cases have increased with 11% for the last week in Greece. 332 people have been infected during the last few days, which made the total number of diseased 3189, 1535 out of whom are in Athens. Doctors warn that those are the official numbers and the actual cases are much more. A 19 year old girl died this morning in Thessaloniki as a result of the H1N1 virus. The girl was admitted in the hospital on Saturday with severe bronchopneumonia and was put on IV right away. Despite all the efforts she could not fight off the flu, because she also had a heart condition.
The mass vaccination of the population starts from today and experts from the Ministry of Health guarantee that the vaccination is safe and they urge people to immunize themselves. The Greek Pediatrician Federation warned that only children with chronic diseases should be vaccinated, because for healthy children the regular flu vaccination is enough.
During the first week all hospital staff and hospitalized patients will be vaccinated. During the second week people with chronic diseases and all risk groups will be vaccinated. From December 1 all healthy people will be able to get the vaccine, who are between 18 and 45 years old and from December 17, all children from 4 to 17 years old and all elderly people above 50 will be able to get vaccinated.
Doctors, nurses and chronic diseases people will be vaccinated in the hospitals and all healthy people will be able to get vaccinated in medical centers, which are open in all municipalities. They will work every day in the afternoons and all day on the weekends.