Defense ministry convenes special meeting to curb flu

SEOUL, Aug. 26 (Yonhap) -- The defense ministry said it convened an emergency
meeting Wednesday to discuss ways to curb the spread of type-A influenza among
its 655,000 soldiers.

A total of 524 soldiers were confirmed to have been infected with the H1N1 virus
since the first outbreak was reported in the military in early July, according to
the Ministry of National Defense.
As of early this week, more than 3,000 South Koreans have been diagnosed with the
virus, with two flu-related deaths since the disease was first detected in May.
The military said in a statement it plans to start a 12.1-billion-won project in
September to vaccinate its entire force against the contagious disease.
If the government raises its alert a notch higher, the ministry will start
restricting furloughs and suspend training for reserves, it said.
South Korea runs a compulsory military service.
About 330 of the soldiers infected with the virus have completed their treatment
and returned to their units, the ministry said.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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