Almost half million Cubans vaccinated against flu

About 475,000 people have been vaccinated against the seasonal flu in Cuba thanks to the National Immunization Campaign, the Cuban Health Ministry said Friday. The single-dose injectable vaccine protects the people from the viruses causing influenza A and B, which have affected the island's population in 2012. The vaccine is applied to about 150,000 elderly people over age 85 as well as other population groups deemed vulnerable, including pregnant women, health care workers, and people suffering from pneumonia and various chronic diseases, according to a statement from the ministry. Starting in 1999, Cuba has held the flu vaccination campaign every year during the seasonal period from October to March, when acute respiratory infections increase in the country.