The Ministry of Health has called on parents to vaccinate their children against swine flu because of the possibility that the deadly virus' third wave may peak during this winter. The ministry has launched a five-week vaccination drive for all schools, starting Saturday. Vaccination at schools will be administered by local health clinics. The vaccinations provided to students, and teachers, will help to stop the deadly virus from spreading at schools, said Dr. Ziad Al-Memish, Deputy Minister of Health for Preventive Medicine, Monday. Children under the age of nine will need two shots - optimally four weeks apart - to be fully protected, Al-Memish said. Children over 10 years of age will receive only one dose of the H1N1 vaccine. Amid an ever-increasing number of swine flu deaths, it is necessary to get children vaccinated as the benefits outweigh the side effects, said Al-Memish during the preparation workshop for the vaccination drive. Over 65 million people worldwide have been vaccinated against the H1N1 virus. The death toll from the disease now stands at 10,000 people worldwide since April of this year. Over 1.3 million people have been affected by swine flu. Al-Memish said that the swine flu vaccine's side effects are mild and are similar to that of a normal flu jab. The Ministry of Health has requested six million vaccines, as instructed by King Abdullah.
