The spread of the A/H1N1 flu continues in France but at a moderate pace, the French health surveillance institute InVS said Thursday.

According to the newly released report, four severely sick patients were hospitalized last week and 12 more people died of the flu since the last report, bringing the death toll to 275 in France since the epidemic debuted the country in 2009.

The A/H1N1 flu appeared to be easing during the second week of January as the increasing number of confirmed and suspect cases declined, InVS said.

Also on Thursday at a news conference, Didier Houssin, the Director General of the Health Department, called on the public to remain vigilant against the possible "second wave of the epidemic" and insisted the vaccination campaign should be carried on.

So far, over 5.7 million French people have been vaccinated and the vaccination campaign didn't call an end as a new vaccinating center just opened in Paris on January 25, Houssin said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2010)