Bangkok - Thailand on Monday began providing free swine-flu vaccines to more than 55,000 people deemed especially vulnerable to the virus, which has claimed 191 lives in the kingdom. The national immunization programme against the H1N1 strain of the flu began at Phranang Klao Hospital in Bangkok with free vaccinations provided to 50 volunteers, mostly pregnant women.

The Public Health Ministry was to provide 55,360 vaccines to vulnerable people nationwide by the end of February, Public Health Minister Paijit Wallachit said.

The ministry has targeted five groups to receive the vaccine: hospital staff, pregnant women, the obese, the disabled and those suffering from long-term diseases.

Thailand purchased 2 million doses from Sanofi Pasteur at 300 baht (9 dollars) per dose after efforts to produce the vaccine locally failed.

The vaccine is to be provided free at all public hospitals while private hospitals are to charge a service fee.

Since swine flu began spreading last year, Thailand has recorded 1.97 million cases.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/30...u-vaccines.html

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