Government approves swine flu vaccination of children between 10 and 17

Minister of Health Dana Jurásková told journalists on Wednesday that after receiving a second batch of swine flu vaccines, the government has extended the group of vaccination recipients to include children between 10 and 17 diagnosed with serious and chronic diseases. Some 72,000 doses have just been delivered to the Czech Republic and will be distributed by the end of the week. Minister Jurásková added that it was up to each person to decide whether they wanted the vaccine; she admitted that across Europe even patients who qualify sometimes refuse to get the vaccination. The risk of complications is much higher in those with chronic diseases and a weakened immune system, and the vaccination is the only preventive measure for those patients, she said.