Nearly 3.8mln people already inoculated across China: Official

China's mainland has confirmed more than 46,000 cases of A/H1N1 influenza. Mass inoculations are rolling out to curb further spread of the flu in winter. But the size of the project means priority has been given to the most vulnerable groups.

Get vaccinated before it's too late. This is the advice from most Chinese medical experts to people concerned about the country's A/H1N1 flu situation.

China is the first country in the world to issue a production license for A/H1N1 flu vaccine. Companies have been producing the vaccine steadily, allowing mass vaccination to spearhead most local governments' containment campaigns.

Yu Jingjin, Deputy director of Disease Prevention & Control Dept. of MOH, said, "By the end of October, mass vaccination has been carried out for key groups in 27 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, except Anhui, Jiangxi, Sichuan and Chongqing. Nearly 3.8 million people have been inoculated. Most of the reported abnormal physical reactions turn out to be minor cases, including pains in some body parts, slight skin swelling, light fever and headache."

Authorities say the so-called key groups involve an estimated 390 million people. These people range from PLA soldiers, diplomatic personnel and medical workers to public service professionals, schools' faculties and students and chronic disease patients.

Authorities have fast-tracked the vaccinations to meet the high demand. They say 100 million doses of the A/H1N1 flu vaccine will be available by March next year.

Inoculations are free and strictly voluntary. The central government will subsidize mass vaccinations in China's under-developed regions.