LOC13:53
10:53 GMT
PARIS, Sept 25 (KUNA) -- Around four million people in France are expected
to contract the flu virus this winter, a relatively high number compared with
previous outbreaks of the debilitating illness.
French daily "Liberation" quoted health sources as saying, in its edition
published on Tuesday, that this years outbreak could take on "pandemic"
proportions due to climatic factors and the strain of virus expected to hit
the country.
Flu specialists here told the newspaper that predictions indicate that the
flu will be the same as the one that hit Australia in July and August and it
could hit France between October 2007 and the beginning of 2008.
The effect of the "El Nino" climate system will provide either neutral or
cold conditions in France during the above period and the range of flu cases
could be between 3.2 million and 4.7 million, with a median of four million,
the health sources said.
France will begin selling vaccines against the flu on September 28 and
these are available free of charge for children and elderly people, while
others must pay for inoculation.
Last year, some two million people contracted the flu in France. (end)
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KUNA 251353 Sep 07NNNN