THE HEAD of the Public Health Office, Ivan Rovný, became the first Slovak to be vaccinated against the novel flu virus in Slovakia in mid-December.
“I have already written a will,” he joked shortly before receiving the vaccine. He was given the flu shot along with four other employees of the Public Health Office. Journalists attending the event were also offered vaccinations, the SITA newswire reported.
Dr Peter Lipták, who carried out the vaccination, said that the most effective approach is to get vaccinated against seasonal flu and pandemic flu at the same time. On December 14, the pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur delivered the first 30,000 doses of the Panenza vaccine against the A-type flu virus (H1N1) to the State Administration of Material Reserves. An additional 20,000 doses should be delivered by the end of this year, and in January Slovakia expects to receive 400,000 to 500,000 further doses. The last part of delivery is due to arrive in Slovakia by the end of February. The first people to be vaccinated against novel flu will be health-care workers, pregnant women, patients with chronic diseases and key officials.
As of December 14, Slovakia had registered 860 cases of novel flu, and reported 18 deaths of people who had contracted the A-type flu virus (H1N1).
