Agreements have been signed between the UK Government and vaccine manufacturers to secure Swin Flu

Agreements have been signed between the UK Government and vaccine manufacturers to secure supplies of up to 90 million doses of pre-pandemic H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine before a pandemic begins, the Department of Health has announced.

The deals signed between Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, and Baxter, will enable production of pre-pandemic vaccine to begin as soon as possible.

The agreements could provide enough vaccine to protect the most vulnerable in our population before a pandemic is likely to arrive, without affecting our supply of seasonal flu vaccine.

There are over 101 confirmed cases of swine flu in the UK. Most cases are linked to either previously confirmed cases or are returning travellers.

The pandemic flu alert level from the World Health Organization (WHO) remains at Phase Five. Other recent developments include: