Swine flu vaccines were made available for citizens and expatriates of all ages in primary health care centers throughout the Kingdom from Saturday. Khaled Al-Mirghalani, spokesman of the Ministry of Health, said the service has been launched because the ministry is keen to see that as many people as possible are inoculated against the virus. He warned that the third wave of the virus may be more severe. He also urged parents to ensure that their children receive the vaccine. “We are not forcing parents to have their children vaccinated, but we strongly advise them to do so as a preventive measure.” Around 15,500 cases of swine flu, which has claimed 124 lives, have been reported in the Kingdom since last May. Al-Mirghalani said that the vaccination program would last for five weeks. Health officials will also visit national and international schools to vaccinate children whose parents have given their consent. Around 60,000 students have received the H1N1 shots, according to figures from the Ministry of Education. That is less than one percent of the Kingdom's population, which is around 27 million.
