Articles

Portugal

The European Union alongside the Health Security Committee released a policy statement that outlines a shared European approach to identifying the priority groups within the union for the H1N1 virus vaccination.

The statement released information regarding whom should be among the first to receive the vaccination; anyone older the six months old who have underlying chronic conditions, women who are pregnant, and health care workers. After the initial vaccines are administered, then the vaccination process will proceed.

Portugal has ordered over three million doses of tamiflu which will be used if the swine flu outbreak were to occur before the proper number of vaccines were administered. The World Health Organization estimates that a third of the Portuguese population will come down with the virus this season before the vaccine is fully distributed among its citizens.