SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean government is considering whether to raise the nation's alert level against the A/H1N1 flu from the second-highest to the highest as the number of new flu patients is seeing a sharp surge across the nation.

    The country's health authorities briefed the presidential office that it is considering such a move, and the presidential office is expected to discuss the proposal and make a decision soon, local media reported on Sunday.

    The country revised up the national disease alert level by one notch from the third-highest to the second highest on July 21.

    Fears are growing in South Korea recently over the fast spread of the new flu as a daily average of some 8,000 new cases of A/H1N1 was reported recently.

    On Monday, the country reported five death cases linked with the new virus, including three kids, posting the largest number of deaths reported on a single day since the epidemic broke out in the country in early May.

    As of Saturday, the new contagious disease has claimed 35 lives in the country, and more than 20 people have died this month alone.

    The country began the A/H1N1 vaccinations on Tuesday. The first wave of vaccinations mainly covered medical staff and quarantine officers in hospitals designated as A/H1N1 flu-treatment facilities. Vaccinations for elementary, middle and high school students will begin in mid-November, while for preschool children, the elderly and patients with chronic diseases will start in January.