DutchNews.nl - Swine flu to cost government €780m

The health ministry’s swine flu vaccination programme will cost the government over €700m this year and another €80m in 2010, according to Friday’s Telegraaf.

This additional financial burden came to light on Thursday during ministers’ budget discussions for the coming year, the paper says.

Health minister Ab Klink ordered 34 million vaccines, enough for two injections for the total population, on the advice of the public health advisory council.

But according to confidential budget calculations, the cost of the swine flu programme can be reduced by €250m if vaccinations are only given to patients in high risk categories, the Telegraaf reports.

Vaccinations may be scaled down

Klink is expected to make a decision later this month to scale down the vaccination programme after new advice from the public heath advisory council and the public health institute RIVM, the paper says

In the coming weeks the cabinet will continue its talks on next year’s budget. All departments are expected to balance their own books which means that extra spending this year must be compensated for by cuts in 2010.

As well as the health ministry, the social affairs and justice departments also face shortfalls, reports the Telegraaf.

Benefit payments are expected to cost the social affairs ministry over €100m next year, according to the paper, while the justice department will see its revenues fall by €80m because the income from fines has gone down.

The education ministry too faces a possible setback of €130m as a result of high childcare costs, says Friday’s Telegraaf.

So Tamiflu ....first the insurance said on the phone " of course you can send declaration form to us and we pay"
reality ....we did send the form and they did NOT cover the costs my husband is a diabetic and on a higher risc than healthy people and he travels for his work ..there we go fact is better be prepaired stuff the 34 Eu.right???

By Minnie | August 14, 2009 6:09 PM

Typical government knee-jerk reaction. The public is making a big deal about Swine Flu when the reality is that the "regular" flu has killed more people in the US this year then the Swine Flu has. Much ado about nothing.

By Tim Lee | August 15, 2009 2:02 PM

TO THE GOVERNMENT OR TO THE CITIZENS???????

By PEPE | August 15, 2009 5:46 PM

I say go ahead and offer it to everyone but at their own expense. We will not be wanting it for any of us and I don't think it's fair to expect us to help pay for it!!!! It's a big bullshit story anyway.. let's all panic and store up some canned goods and run for cover.. the fluuuuuu is coming WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH we're all gonna dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

idiots.

By Laura | August 16, 2009 10:25 PM

There is and has never been a cure for influenza. As usual the government relies on the mass ignorance of the people. Those millions could have been better spent on medical research.

By stevie | August 17, 2009 1:12 PM