Mass vaccination campaigns are underway in China, Australia, and US...
By Militza Richard
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed its confidence in the H1N1 vaccine on Tuesday, urging mass vaccinations despite the possibility of mild side effects such muscle cramps or headache. These side effects are to be expected for some, but the vaccine is the most important tool against the pandemic, it said.
"It is important to remember that the vaccines, which have already been approved, have been used for years and years and years in their seasonal vaccine formulation and have been shown to be among the safest vaccines that exist," said WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl.
Vaccination is especially important for health care workers, as the vaccination both protects them from the disease and prevents them from passing it on to their patients.
"We would hope that everyone who has a chance to get vaccinated does get vaccinated," Hartl said.
Mass vaccinations are already underway in several countries, including China, Australia, and the United States.
Since the HINI virus was declared a pandemic by the United Nations agency in June, laboratories and drug makers worldwide have scrambled to develop vaccines.
GlaxoSmithKline won a further 22 government orders for its H1N1 swine flu vaccine in the last two months, taking the total number of doses ordered to 440 million worth some $3.5 billion. Rivals in flu vaccines include Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis, Baxter, AstraZeneca and CSL.