Johannesburg — PEOPLE deemed to be vulnerable to swine flu will be vaccinated against the virus when the vaccine becomes available next year, says Barry Schoub, executive director of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases .

He told delegates at the fourth annual meeting of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes in Johannesburg that pregnant women, children and people living with AIDS would be priority groups. "SA has not started with the vaccination programme against the pandemic influenza A (H1N1)."

The vaccine would be ready by February or March, in time for winter preparation.