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15:25 Sebelius: First round of swine flu vaccine could be ready in early October

The first round of swine flu vaccines could be ready as early as the first week of October, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Sunday. "We're on track to have an ample supply rolling by the middle of October. But we may have some early vaccine as early as the first full week in October. We'll get the vaccine out the door as fast as it rolls off the production line," she told ABC's "This Week." Sebelius said she is confident the vaccine will be available early enough to beat the peak of the expected flu season, and that early doses are intended for health care workers and other high-priority groups, such as pregnant women and children with chronic illness. Researchers last week discovered that one dose of the vaccine instead of two could be enough for healthy adults, and protection could begin once vaccinated within 10 days instead of three weeks. "That's great, which means we'll have a lot more vaccine," Sebelius said. "We also have seen a robust immune response within 10 days, instead of three weeks as was feared." The city has offered every school kid a free swine flu vaccine when it becomes available. The winter flu vaccine is widely available now, and health authorities urged people last week to get shots now before swine flu vaccines start arriving.

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