H1N1 immunisation to begin in two weeks

Australia's biggest-ever immunisation program to combat the deadly swine flu virus
will begin in less than two weeks.
Free doses of the vaccine will be initially available for all adults from September
30, to protect them from a pandemic that has killed 172 Australians and 3,500 people
worldwide.
Doses for children aged 10 and over are expected to be available by mid-October.
The nation's 7,500 general practices will start receiving deliveries of the Panvax
vaccine from next week.
The government has bought 21 million doses and state and territory health
authorities have already been given four million samples.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved the one-shot protection vaccine,
which Melbourne-based pharmaceutical firm CSL had been developing since May.
The $100 million program to develop a swine flu vaccine in Australia has produced a
vaccine which its maker says will have a 95 per cent success rate in adults.
People with diabetes, asthma, obesity, weak immune systems and pregnant women will
initially be given priority, along with doctors and nurses.
It is designed to immunise people from developing potentially-fatal lung
inflammation and pneumonia if they catch swine flu.
So far, 36,000 swine flu cases have been confirmed in Australia.
Health Minister Nicola Roxon on Friday said the vaccine was Australia's best defence
against the pandemic.
"I encourage people to now take the opportunity to protect themselves and their
families against the pandemic flu by getting vaccinated," she told reporters in
Canberra on Friday.
"The government from day one has been determined to combat this disease in a
sensible, clear and direct way.
"We're in the fortunate position, given advice from CSL, that there is only one dose
required for adults, which means we will be able to vaccine anybody in the community
who wants to be vaccinated."
Chief medical officer Jim Bishop said vaccination would give a high level of
protection for the next flu season "and beyond".
"The evidence that we've got, so far, shows it's extremely good," he said.
Prof Bishop said, however, it was possible there would be a larger wave of swine flu
between now and the next flu season.
"We would be concerned there would be outbreaks during the year, through the
summer," he said.
"We think it's important, in a timely way, for patients to protect themselves now."
Australian Medical Association federal vice-president Steve Hambleton said a more
aggressive strain of swine flu in the northern hemisphere may be resistant to
Tamiflu, which helps people who are already sick.
"We're not out of the woods with this particular pandemic," the Brisbane-based GP
told AAP on Friday.
"We need to vaccinate the population rapidly to provide maximum protection."
The flu vaccine would be unlikely to cause side effects but Dr Hambleton said
doctors needed to be educated about wastage and sterilisation procedures.
One vaccine vials contains 18 doses, which means multiple patients will need to be
immunised at one time.
Australia's biggest medical insurers agreed three weeks ago to indemnify doctors
offering swine flu injections.
For now, the biggest obstacle will be getting supplies to rural and regional areas
of Australia, Ms Roxon said.
Contractual details of the government's $100 million payment to CSL, to develop the
vaccine, are to remain confidential.
"It is not appropriate for us to be itemising the exact cost given the commercial
interest that are also at stake," the health minister said.
CSL's general manager of bio-therapies, Mary Sontrop, said the vaccine would have
similar side effects to the regular seasonal flu vaccine.
"The most commonly reported side effects were injection site tenderness, headache
and injection site pain," she said.
Australia will join with the US, UK, Brazil, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden and New
Zealand in committing vaccines to the World Health Organisation.
Vaccines will go to the Pacific Islands countries, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and
possibly South East Asian countries, Ms Roxon said.