Ninety five percent of people seeing doctors with flu symptoms are infected with the A(H1N1) virus according to the Dutch Family Doctors Society.
 

Roel Coutinho, of the National Institute of Public Health (RIVM), says the Dutch are now taking the threat posed by the virus more seriously. The virus is known as Mexican flu in the Netherlands and swine flu elsewhere.
 

Professor Coutinho says the deaths of a number of young children after being infected with the A(H1N1) virus are behind the swing in opinion.

He says he hopes more people will now be prepared to be inoculated against the virus. Many health care workers, one of the groups at risk from infection, are reported to be fearful of the side-effects of vaccination.

The Dutch Family Doctors Society says it thinks the flu has started spreading on a large-scale in the Netherlands.

On Tuesday, family doctors started receiving the first consignments of the flu vaccine. They will begin inoculating people from risk groups next week.

photo: Roel Coutinho (ANP)