State gets swine flu vaccine

The State received over 80,000 doses of Swine Flu vaccine on Wednesday from the Union Health Ministry’s Mumbai nodal Centre.

The vaccine, bought by the Union Health Ministry from the international drug manufacturer Sanofi Pasteurs, will be first administered to health workers in the state to immunise them against the dreaded disease.

According to Health Ministry sources, two nodal centres have been set up in the country, at New Delhi and in Mumbai to despatch the vaccines.

The Mumbai centre commenced despatching the vaccine from March 15 to Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

The Government had taken a decision to immunise persons coming in close contact with the Swine Flu affected to stem the spread of the disease, which includes health workers and para-military personnel posted at various airports.

While Andhra Pradesh has managed to control the spread of the dreaded disease to a large extent, the Swine Flu death toll across the country has risen to 1,415.

Maharashtra accounts for 388 deaths - the highest in the country.