Saudi Arabia orders 10m flu vaccines

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“The authority … has been following through all the phases of the production of the A (H1N1) flu vaccine by several international companies specialised in vaccines,” the SFDA said in a statement posted on its website.

The authority added that it decided to register GlaxoSmithKline’s vaccine, which is distributed under the Pandemrix brand name.

Saudi Arabia will begin a national vaccination campaign on Saturday, he said. The kingdom has a population of nearly 25 million, nearly a third of whom are expatriates. Priority will be given to pilgrims and hospital staff, health ministry spokesman Khaled Mirghalani said.

He could not immediately say whether Saudi Arabia would buy all of its vaccines from GlaxoSmithKline. “We have ordered 10 million vaccine units from Belgium, Great Britain and the United States. We have already received a first batch,” Mirghalani said.

Around 3 million pilgrims from more than 160 countries take part in the Haj in the holy city of Makkah most years, including up to 2 million who travel from abroad. Haj this year will start in during the last week of this month.

Disease experts from the United States and Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, said last week that waves of H1N1 flu virus spread by pilgrims travelling to and from Makkah for next month’s Haj threatened to put pressure on healthcare systems around the world.

The pilgrimage provides perfect conditions for the spread of the H1N1 flu virus, which is transmitted by sneezing and physical contact.

“Everything is being done to ensure all goes well,” ministry spokesman Mirghalani said.

The Saudi FDA also moved to allay fears about the potential side effects of the vaccine, saying any impact would be little different from those of seasonal flu vaccines. The Mirghalani said children will not be inoculated without parental approval.

Meanwhile, the first batch of the H1N1 flu vaccine has arrived in UAE and immunisation is expected to begin early next week. Health officials said a shipment of 40,000 doses of GlaxoSmithKline’s Pandermrix or D-Pan intramuscular vaccine arrived on Saturday night.

Vaccination will be done as per the UAE National Immunisation Plan, which will be rolled out after minor modifications by the end of the week or early next, health ministry sources said.

Haj pilgrims will be given top priority under the modified plan but it will be their choice whether or not to be vaccinated, one source said. Each vaccinated individual will be provided with an international vaccination certificate.

 

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