Ample supply: Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow announces the human swine flu vaccine tendering result.

Sanofi Pasteur S.A. has been chosen to supply Hong Kong with 3 million doses of human swine flu vaccine for $237 million.

Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow announced today the French firm won the tender to supply the vaccine.

"The company was selected because their proposal meets our stringent requirements - we attach greatest importance to efficacy and safety," Dr Chow told reporters, adding the $79 unit price was considered reasonable.

The first batch of vaccines, 500,000 doses, will arrive in mid-December, while the remaining 2.5 million doses will come in batches in January.

Vaccination programme

Free vaccination will be provided to five target groups by the end of December. These groups, accounting for 2 million people, are considered high-risk and should be vaccinated.

They are healthcare workers, chronic patients and pregnant women, children aged six months to six years, the elderly, and pig farmers and slaughterhouse workers.

The Government will also provide the vaccine to private doctors at a cost. People outside the target groups can seek vaccination from these doctors at their own expense.

People aged 10 or above will require one dose while others aged below that require two.

"Over the past few weeks, many countries have started their own human swine flu vaccination programme. According to the World Health Organisation, there has been no unusual adverse effect observed and the human swine flu vaccine has the same risk comparable to that of the seasonal flu vaccine. I appeal to the target groups to take the vaccination to protect them from human swine flu infection," Dr Chow said.

The vaccination programme is a voluntary scheme. Details will be announced within the month.