Vic: Swine flu vaccine on the way

AAP General News (Australia)
08-20-2009
Vic: Swine flu vaccine on the way

MELBOURNE, Aug 20 AAP - Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says a swine flu vaccine
has yet to be officially approved and she doesn't expect it to be available until mid-September
at the earliest.

Ms Roxon says reports on Thursday claiming the vaccine would be ready as early as September
7 are premature.

"The reports in the paper today are slightly premature in that we don't yet have the
final data," she told ABC Radio.

"The chief medical officer hasn't yet said to me that he is satisfied we could roll
out the vaccine.

"But the data we do have is the first that has been available in the world.

"It looks very promising and we are certainly doing everything we can to make sure
the vaccine is available and implementation is ready to go as soon as we get that tick-off.

"I think it's anticipated by the middle or end of September we will be starting to
vaccinate the priority groups that, of course, are the most vulnerable.

"They are pregnant women, those with chronic diseases, those children in special schools
and, of course, our health workforce."

AAP jfp/gfr/sn

KEYWORD: FLU AUST ROXON

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