China issues world's first warrant for A/H1N1 flu vaccination

BEIJING, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- China has issued its first warrant for mass inoculation with domestic A/H1N1 flu vaccine, the first country in the world to do so, Health Minister Chen Zhu said Tuesday.

Chen said the warrant was issued by the State Food and Drug Administration Monday after the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines had been proved in clinical tests.

We will also improve treatment methods," he said. "Apart from respiratory and anti-virus medicines, we will use traditional Chinese medicine."

Chen said the medical system was prepared to treat patients "ona large scale", especially those showing severe symptoms.

By Monday, all 31 provinces and municipalities on the Chinese mainland had reported A/H1N1 flu cases, bringing the total to 5,592. So far, nearly 70 percent have recovered and no deaths have been reported.

Both the WHO and domestic experts say they believe the A/H1N1 flu epidemic will reach the peak in autumn and winter, Chen said.

He said China's situation was "grim" given the large number of students who started the new semester in September and the National Day celebrations.

In the past week, 95 percent of newly confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases were locals, he said.

Since late-June, China has reported 128 cases of group infections. In some provinces there has been a rising proportion of A/H1N1 flu cases against other flu-linked illnesses.