Poll finds Swiss reluctant over swine flu jab
Most Swiss do not want to be inoculated against the swine flu virus, despite the government's recommendations, a survey has revealed.
The poll in the SonntagsBlick newspaper published on Sunday showed that 86.4 per cent of those asked were against having a preventative jab.
On October 30 the health authorities announced that vaccinations against the H1N1 flu virus in Switzerland would be carried out in two phases beginning in mid-November.
The Federal Health Office recommends inoculating certain risk groups in a first wave, including the chronically-ill, pregnant women and health staff. The wider public will be invited in the second round, but it is not mandatory.
In the poll, only 9.8 per cent said they would have the vaccination. The rest did not answer.
Almost 70 per cent of the 606 people across the country surveyed said they were not afraid of swine flu and up to 60 per cent thought that the authorities had exaggerated the risk to some extent.
Switzerland has recorded more than 1,550 confirmed cases of swine flu, including 30 patients who had to be admitted to hospital, but no deaths so far.
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