President of the Ministry of Health’s special working group for implementing the plan of activities before and during the flu pandemic Predrag Kon said today that there are 187 cases of virus A (H1N1) confirmed in Serbia.

Kon told the Tanjug news agency that the number of patients, compared to yesterday, increased by 18 patients. The patients are from Belgrade, Cuprija, Pozega, Novi Sad, Uzice and Sremska Mitrovica

A 32-year-old woman from Krusevac died from novel (or H1N1) flu en route to a hospital in Belgrade, epidemiologist Predrag Kon, head of a pandemic working group, confirmed on Nov. 3. This was the second death from novel flu in Serbia.

Serbian Health Minister Tomica Milosavljevic said on Nov. 3 that vaccination was the best prevention and that the acquisition of vaccines had been stepped up as far as possible. Until two days ago, the vaccine was unavailable except in the countries where it is produced.

According to Milosavljevic, chronic patients from six months of age upward will have priority, followed by employees in public institutions and services, and healthy people, while everyone, those who are vaccinated and those who do not want to, will have to sign on.

"We will vaccinate all Serbian citizens as much as we can and have time for. In the first go, probably half the population, and then as much as possible. The entire population as soon as possible, because that is the only way to stop this disease. By the end of the season and 2010, between two and three billion people will be vaccinated in the world," the minister said.

Milosavljevic also stated that health care institutions had sufficient room to admit patients and that the purpose of wards would be changed if any extraordinary circumstances arise.

The minister stated that, in milder cases, patients should stay in bed at home and that the symptoms would subside in the largest number of cases, while a doctor should be seen if the illness does not pass.

The Belgrade Health Care Secretariat on Nov. 3 published the phone numbers of health care institution call-centers which provide information about the novel flu.