Hundreds of people, including prominent businessmen, government officials, school staff and pupils flocked to take the swine flu vaccine in Bahrain.

Locals and expatriates were among more than 500 people who queued at the Hamad Kanoo Health Centre in Riffa as the vaccine was issued for the first time.

Health Minister Dr Faisal Al Hamer attended the event and took the first shot, after signing a consent form at around 11am.

About 60,000 doses of the vaccine are now available in Bahrain. They will be offered free to all of Bahrain's population, but priority will be given to high-risk categories, including Haj pilgrims, pregnant women, diabetics and those suffering from cardiac problems.

The vaccine will be available at all of Bahrain's health centres in the next few days.

Six people have died in Bahrain as a result of swine flu and, according to the latest figures, 888 have tested positive for the virus.

'This is a very important occasion for Bahrain as we are among the first few countries to have started administering the vaccine,' said Dr Al Hamer.

'This vaccine has been certified perfectly safe by the most reputed authorities in the world and we would strongly recommend it for everyone.'

'We would want our entire population to get it eventually. It is the only real chance we have of being H1N1 free.'

Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) chairman Dr Essam Fakhro, former Health Ministry under-secretary Dr Aziz Hamza, Works Ministry undersecretary Nayef Al Kalali and Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs Ministry under-secretary Dr Nabeel Abu Al Fateh also took the vaccination. They were followed by public health and primary care assistant under-secretary Dr Mariam Al Jalahma, hospital affairs assistant under-secretary Dr Amin Al Sa'ati, public health director Dr Khairya Moosa and communicable diseases section head Dr Muna Al Mousawi.

Several other senior Health Ministry officials and residents, including some media representatives, also took the vaccination.

Dr Moosa later called for people not to believe false claims that the vaccine was dangerous.

“Several e-mails have claimed an international conspiracy to engineer this virus and spread it in the Third World to inflict bodily harm and death in the populations of these countries, to enhance sales of Western drug and vaccine companies and perhaps even to spread live virus in the vaccines being produced for our countries,” he said.

Dr Moosa said by mixing truths with conjecture, such e-mails played on the fears and ignorance of people to promote conspiracy theories. “We have to reiterate the vaccine is completely safe,” he said.

“The number of people here is very encouraging and we are sure most of the population will take the vaccine in the next few weeks.

“Those who are vaccinated will be safe in school and at work, while those who are not vaccinated will become the potential carriers and spreaders of the disease.

“Our message to the community is: please choose to take the vaccine.”-TradeArabia News Service