Saudi orders 4m doses of swine flu vaccine

SWINE FLU: Saudi has ordered four million doses of H1N1 vaccine. (Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia has ordered four million doses of swine flu vaccine to protect its population from the virus spread during and after the hajj pilgrimage, the kingdom’s health minister said.

The first shipment of vaccines is expected to arrive by the end of October, Dr Abdullah Al-Rabeah told a press conference on Saturday.

The vaccines, currently under clinical trials, are expected to hit the world market around that time, reported the Saudi Gazette.

“Four million vaccine doses were reserved and, of course, buying the vaccines is not easy as there is global competition,” the minister said.

The minister was speaking a day after two more Saudi men died from the swine flu virus, bringing the number of deaths in the kingdom to four.

A 32-year-old nurse showed symptoms of H1N1 three weeks ago and was admitted to hospital where he later died. The second case was a 25-year-old heavy smoker, who was admitted to hospital with a fever and throat and chest inflammation. He also died on Friday.

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