Chief Epidemiologist at the Directorate of Health, Haraldur Briem, recommends that all Icelanders older than six months get vaccination for the A(H1N1) swine flu virus. Around 50,000 people have now been vaccinated, 70 percent of the priority group.
As of Monday next week, people who are not in the priority group can book appointments for vaccinations, which will commence the following week, Fréttabladid reports.
Briem pointed out that although 70 to 80 percent of those who fall seriously ill because of A(H1N1) infections have underlying diseases, are pregnant or obese, 20 to 30 percent of those whose condition becomes critical are not in that group.
Therefore he recommends that everyone who is older than six months be vaccinated, unless they are certain that they have already had the swine flu.
Click here to read more about the swine flu epidemic in Iceland.
