Prague - The Czech Republic began Monday vaccinating a portion of its population against the so-called swine flu in a bid to ease a looming epidemic, health officials said. The efforts against the H1N1 influenza virus began with some hospitals vaccinating staff members and patients, Deputy Health Minister Marek Snajdr said at a briefing.
The government is offering voluntary vaccination to around 1 million of selected Czechs, or one tenth of the country's population of some 10.4 million.
They include chronically-ill adults and children older than 10 years, pregnant women, hospital staff and workers of sectors crucial for state's operation.
As of Monday, four people have succumbed to the H1N1 influenza in the Czech Republic and over 630 people have been confirmed as having been infected with the virus, the Health Ministry said.
