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STAFF REPORTER

PALMA
NEARLY 148'000 children under the age of 14 and 14'000 health workers in the Balearics will be given a vaccination against swine flu this coming autumn, said Spain's Health Minister yesterday.

The Minister, Trinidad Jimenez, speaking at a Central Government Health Committee meeting yesterday, said that these two groups have been prioritised as “high risk” along with other essential services staff such as firemen. Also to be included in the vaccination programme are pregnant women and all those who are already suffering from a chronic illness or obesity problems. These two latter groups are more difficult to quantify at the present time.

Jimenez also spoke of the possibility of immunising teaching staff so there could be a further 14'328 people included for vaccination in the Balearics. This figure includes primary and secondary school teachers but does not take into account specialist staff such as those giving classes at Adult Education Centres.