LONDON - A vaccine against swine influenza will not be available for several months, said Wednesday the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), expressing doubts about the project in London in August to start vaccinating people most exposed to the virus.
"There is no vaccine. One should be available soon, in August but have a different vaccine is available to have a vaccine that is proven to be safe," said Margaret Chan in British newspaper The Guardian.
"Data from clinical trials will not be available until two or three months," she added.
WHO had already indicated that the vaccine against swine influenza should be ready in September-October.
The Minister of Health, Andy Burnham, recently stated that the first batches of vaccine arrived in Britain in August and would be available to patients.
Influenza A (H1N1) has killed 17 people in Britain, where more than 10,000 confirmed cases were identified.
The WHO warned Monday that "all countries will need the vaccine" against swine flu because the pandemic can be stopped now.
