Eight people have died of AH1N1 influenza in the Netherlands over the past week, according to figures published by the National Institute for Public Health (RIVM). All eight of this week's casualties were suffering from other complaints when they contracted the flu. The flu death toll is now at 25.

RIVM says that the rate of infection appears to be slowing down. Last week 359 people were admitted to hospital with the H1N1 virus, which is down to 289 this week. A renewed faster rise, however, is not being exluded.

In the southern town of Roosendaal an extra round of vaccinations is being held on Friday because traffic jams the day before prevented many people from reaching the inoculation centres before closing time.

It is becoming apparent that babies and toddlers often have high fevers after receiving the flu jab. A centre keeping track of medication side effects, NBC Lareb, has said it is receiving some 200 complaints about the Pandremix vaccine, most of which mention fever.

At a flu jab centre in the Netherlands (ANP Photo)