More than 500,000 people were vaccinated against A(H1N1) influenza, commonly known as swine flu, on Saturday, the first day of a free national inoculation program that targets the entire population, a health official said.
Most county and city health authorities reported that they had met their goal for the day in terms of the number of people inoculated, Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩) said.
No serious side effects were reported among those who were vaccinated on Saturday, although 15 people complained of dizziness after receiving their shots, he said.
However, after resting at the immunization stations, all 15 felt better, he said.
The national immunization drive continued yesterday and will continue the rest of this week at all public hospitals around the country, Chou said, urging the public to take advantage of the opportunity to get a vaccination.
The comprehensive national vaccination program was launched weeks after the first shots were administered on Nov. 1 to people listed in priority groups, such as typhoon victims living in shelters, high-risk medical personnel, elementary school students, pre-school children, pregnant women and seriously ill patients, Chou said.
The daily average over the past month was 150,000 to 190,000 inoculations, he said.
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