The Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, has begun vaccinating its troops in Afghanistan against swine flu. Over 500 troops from the German provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in Feyzabad are receiving vaccinations against the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu.
Bundeswehr photo
The vaccination program not only aims to protect soldiers, but also the Afghan population, from the spread of the H1N1 virus by troops of NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), according to the Bundeswehr. The vaccinations are mandatory for Bundeswehr troops preparing for or already on foreign deployments and voluntary for others.
The Bundeswehr quotes figures published by the Afghan Ministry of Health on 7 November of over 700 infections, including 10 deaths. These figures are expected to rise with the Hadj, the Islamic pilgrimage to Mekka. As a precautionary measure, the Afghan Ministry of Education closed schools and kindergartens for three weeks starting on 2 November.
