Free vaccinations against flu proposed

Flu vaccinations should be provided free in China to promote immunizations and help protect the public against the virus, a World Health Organization expert said recently.

"Only about 2 percent of people in China receive flu vaccinations, and a major reason is that the vaccines are not free," said Zuo Shuyan, a vaccine researcher at the WHO's China office in Beijing. "We hope the government will include flu vaccines in its national immunization program so that more people are covered by the service."

Unlike Category 1 vaccines - vaccines provided free to the public, such as those for measles, polio and hepatitis B - flu vaccines in China are in Category 2, which means they are optional, and people must pay for them.