Daily Record
May 14, 2009
The Scottish government is to buy up enough swine flu vaccine to immunise the entire population, it was revealed today.
The move was disclosed by Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon when she updated Parliament on latest efforts in the fight to contain the virus.In recent days, scientists had identified the genetic fingerprint of the European strain of the virus, she told MSPs.
That was “a crucial first step” in the production of a vaccine and the aim in the UK was to secure supplies of an effective vaccine as soon as it became available.
The aim was to secure enough supplies to allow vaccination of the whole population.
Ms Sturgeon said the UK had advance supply contracts in place for a pandemic vaccine, but this could only be triggered in certain circumstances - like the World Health Organization declaring Phase 6 of a pandemic.
