H1N1 Swine flu claimed another 46 lives in Turkey this week, bringing the national death toll to 241, the health ministry said Thursday, amid resistance to the nation's vaccination plans. Some 230 people infected with A(H1N1) virus remain hospitalised, among them 86 in intensive care, the ministry said on its web site.
Turkey's vaccination campaign, launched on November 2, has been hit by controversy, notably after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan refused to have an injection and publicly chided the health minister over his insistent appeals on citizens to get vaccinated.
Turkey has planned to vaccinate 28 million of its 71-million population, but officials say the number of people who have so far volunteered for an injection is far below the expectations. Critics of the vaccine say its safety, efficiency and possible side effects have not been sufficiently tested.
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