Health News
Serbia cancels most of its flu vaccine order
Jan 27, 2010, 9:08 GMT
Belgrade - Serbia has cancelled a 'large part' of its order of swine flu vaccines amid low public demand for the vaccine, Health Minister Tomica Milosavljevic said Wednesday.
Authorities ordered 3 million vaccine units from Swiss company Novartis. So far it has received 857,000 units and cancelled the rest.
'We paid for what was delivered, and that is 857,000 units. Out of those units we vaccinated some 160,000 people,' Milosavljevic told Belgrade media.
The remaining units will be used as a reserve in case the situation deteriorates. So far it is not clear whether Serbia will have to pay penalties for canceling the order.
The public demand for the vaccine was much weaker than anticipated despite efforts from the government and health officials to vaccinate Serbia's population of 6.5 million.
Serbia has so far confirmed 79 deaths caused by the H1N1 strain of the flu, with 9 patients on respirators in a life-threatening condition.
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