BEIJING, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland confirmed 1,387 new cases of the A/H1N1 influenza in the 48 hours ending 3 p.m. Friday, bringing the total number to 15,968, according to the Ministry of Health.

    Of the new cases, only six were "imported cases," while the rest were all infected on the Chinese mainland, the ministry said Friday.

    So far, no deaths from A/H1N1 virus have been reported on the Chinese mainland, but Taiwan has reported 17 deaths, of whom two were pregnant women.

    China issued a warrant for mass inoculation of A/H1N1 flu vaccine on Sept. 8 after it approved vaccines produced by several domestic pharmaceutical companies including Sinovac and Hualan days earlier.

    Beijing has been leading the country in inoculation. About 39,000 residents in the city had been inoculated by Tuesday afternoon, with 14 cases of adverse reaction.

    According to Liang Xiaofeng, director of the immunization center under the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), four of the 14 adverse reactions "may be" related to the vaccines, and the center was still investigating.



HK adjusts A/H1N1 flu surveillance strategies 

   HONG KONG, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- New indicators will be used to monitor the spread of influenza A/H1N1 in Hong Kong, Center for Health Protection Controller Thomas Tsang said on Friday, adding that tests for the new flu will only be conducted on patients with special medical conditions.

    Speaking at a press conference Friday afternoon, Tsang said as influenza A/H1N1 has become widespread in Hong Kong and it is the right time to adjust the government's monitoring strategies. Full story

Taiwan baby boy gets A/H1N1 flu, vaccination to start in November

    TAIPEI, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- A six-month-old male baby in Taiwan has been infected with the A/H1N1 influenza and was admitted into hospital, becoming the youngest among all hospitalized flu patients on the island, the local health authority said Friday.

    Another four flu victims on the island have also been sent to hospital, bringing the total number of hospitalized cases to 292, among whom 17 died, 36 remained there and the rest were out of hospital. Full story

Special Report:  World Tackles A/H1N1 Flu