First A/H1N1 vaccines administered

By Shan Juan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-09-21 22:24

China began administering the world's first A/H1N1 vaccinations today. They were given to student volunteers who will participate in the National Day Celebration on October 1.

Between today and Thursday, more than 100,000 students at universities and middle and primary schools in Beijing, who have been selected to participate in the celebrations will be vaccinated, Ma Yanming, spokesman of the Beijing Health Bureau, said.

These inoculations are part of a series of precautionary measures that have been mandated by the health bureau to ensure the celebration, which involves more than 200,000 people, mostly students and soldiers, remains free from the pandemic, he said.

"The vaccination is free, and based on free will," Ma told China Daily, but he didn't answer whether the military participants of the coming event would also be vaccinated during the same period.

500 medical workers from local key hospitals have been organized into 49 teams to help carry out the inoculation at schools involved, he said.