South Korea to vaccinate people against swine flu

SEOUL - South Korean health authorities plan to vaccinate nearly 40 percent of the country’s population against the influenza A (H1N1) virus, WAM news agency reported Wednesday.

The vaccination will be carried out on a total of 19.5 million people by the end of February, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said. The figure is around 2 million more than the initial inoculation target.

The move comes as demand is growing in the country for vaccination shots amid lingering fears of the influenza which has killed more than 100 people in the country since mid-August. The vaccinations started in late October with priority given to those considered at high-risk, such as medical personnel and school children.