Mass vaccinations likely 'within weeks'

20 Aug 2009, 8:54 am   -   Source: AAP
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The government has ordered 21 million doses of the swine flu vaccinations (EPA)

The government has ordered 21 million doses of the swine flu vaccinations (EPA)

Pregnant women, health workers and the chronically ill will be given the first of millions of swine flu vaccinations to be available within weeks.

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Pregnant women, health workers and the chronically ill will be given the first of millions of swine flu vaccinations to be available within weeks.

The federal government is about to take delivery of two million doses of swine flu vaccine by the end of the week, News Limited newspapers reported on Thursday.

More than 450,000 doses had been earmarked for Victoria.

Special immunisation clinics were likely to be set up in major hospitals, while GPs would also administer the vaccine.

Millions of doses ordered

If Australia's chief medical officer, Jim Bishop, approves of the mass vaccination, doses of the vaccine will be available from September 7, News Limited said.

Federal health authorities were still awaiting safety data from vaccine manufacturer CSL before approving the vaccination program.

The federal government has ordered 21 million doses of CSL's vaccine in all, should it be proven to work.

CSL spokeswoman Rachel David said trials had revealed no unexpected side effects, and the company would supply the vaccine in batches to the government until January.
 

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