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A passenger wears two surgical masks as he leaves the terminal after coming off a flight from Mexico City at London's Heathrow Airport in west London April 28, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>> |
LONDON, July 12 (Xinhua) -- All Britons could be
vaccinated against the A/H1N1 flu as the number of confirmed cases in Britain is
moving closer toward 10,000, health authorities said Sunday.
The first doses of A/H1N1 vaccine are set to arrive
in Britain in September and could be fast-tracked through regulatory approval in
less than a week.
Health officials have put forward plans to build a
nationwide immunity to the disease, the biggest vaccination program of the past
50 years.
Health experts have already provided a priority list
of patients, and the fast-tracking system has been established since the first
British patient without underlying health problems died of the disease.
Lead negotiator on A/H1N1 of the British Medical
Association Peter Holden told the Sunday Times the high risk groups will be done
at the local clinics.
He added that if the virus does mutate, the idea is
to give people immunity, but he also admitted that the sheer logistics of
dealing with 60 million people can't be underestimated.
It is reported on Friday that a patient at an Essex
hospital has become the first person in Britain without underlying health
problems to die of the infection, bringing the death toll in the country to 15.
It is expected to surge in the winter months when flu
is more prevalent.
There are 9,718 confirmed cases of A/H1N1 in Britain,
according to the latest figures from the Health Protection Agency.
Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu
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