Turkey to start mass A(H1N1) flu vaccination

ANKARA, Nov. 2 — Turkey will launch a mass vaccination program against the global epidemic A(H1N1) influenza on Monday, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported on Sunday.

Around 350,000 people, including health care workers and Turkish pilgrims who are going to travel to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, will be vaccinated in the first phase of program, Health Ministry officials were quoted as saying.

A(H1N1) flu vaccine will be injected, said officials, adding that nasal spray vaccines, the ones used in the United States, will not be used in Turkey.

Turkey ordered A(H1N1) flu vaccine shots from Switzerland-based drug company Novartis and the first batch of 500,000 doses will be distributed to provinces on Monday.

Pregnant women in Turkey will get a special form of A(H1N1) flu vaccine and Turkey will import 1 million doses which do not contain "adjuvant" for pregnant women. Adjuvant-free vaccines would arrive in Turkey in December, officials said.

Turkey detected over 1,500 A(H1N1) flu cases since May and three Turks died of A(H1N1) flu virus so far. (PNA/Xinhua) ALM

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