A working group of health experts from the European Union countries has recommended that all pregnant women, health workers and people with chronic illnesses should be first to receive vaccinations against the A (H1N1) flu virus.

This is at odds with the recent decision by Dutch Health Minister Ab Klink only to offer vaccinations to pregnant women who would normally receive an annual flu jab due to a medical condition, and only from the second trimester of pregnancy. The minister’s decision follows the recommendations of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

The institute bases its advice on the conclusion that as yet the symptoms of the A (H1N1) flu virus are relatively mild, and relatively few cases are occurring.

Anyone who is normally called for an annual flu jab, such as the over-sixties or people with respiratory diseases, are to be offered an A (H1N1) vaccination. However, the RIVM and the Health Council agree that there is no medical reason to vaccinate healthy pregnant women.

The EU working group stresses that countries are free to set their own vaccination priorities. Although at present the Netherlands is only planning to vaccinate high-risk groups, the health ministry has ordered enough doses of the vaccine to treat the entire population.

Meanwhile, the business world is preparing for the possibility of a more severe outbreak developing in the winter, with large numbers of employees off sick. Many companies are drawing up protocols to deal with worst-case scenarios.