Games' organizers eyes vaccinations against H1N1 flu

VANCOUVER, British Columbia: Organizers of next year's Winter Olympics in Vancouver are hoping to get thousands of volunteers and staff vaccinated against the H1N1 flu virus, a medical official said on Wednesday.

Organizers were already stockpiling antivirals and vaccine for next year's expected seasonal flu in Canada and are now talking with Canadian and international health authorities about how to respond to the global swine flu pandemic.

"We'll be doing a campaign trying to encourage all of our volunteers as well as our staff ... to get as many as possible vaccinated," said Dr. Jack Taunton, chief medical officer of the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC).