HELSINKI, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- Rovaniemi City in Lapland, northern Finland, will start A/H1N1 flu vaccination on Thursday, a few days earlier than the government scheduled, as the epidemic is spreading fast in the area, Finnish media reported on Wednesday.

    According to the original plan, Finland is going to launch massive A/H1N1 flu vaccination campaign since next week. However, having received 2,500 doses of vaccine, Rovaniemi authorities then decided to bring forward the plan as the number of sick people caused by A/H1N1 flu has been estimated exceeding 1,000 in the region.

    Besides that, the Satakunta Central Hospital and Seinajoki Central Hospital in southwest Finland has started inoculation Wednesday. Vaccination will also begin on Thursday in healthcare centers of Helsinki, the capital of Finland.

    Finland's government has spent 37 million euros ordering 52.8 million doses of A/H1N1 flu vaccine, 170,000 of which has been shipped to Finland last week and distributed to healthcare centers and hospitals across the country.