Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman on Thursday turned to President Shimon Peres, asking if the President’s Office can approach pharmaceutical firms to see if Israel can be pushed ahead of the long waiting list to obtain swine flu vaccines, which at present, a number of companies are working to develop.

Litzman realizes that nations that ordered the vaccines first are already waiting and in all likelihood, delivery to Israel is months away. The deputy minister is seeking at the very least to obtain enough doses for the nation’s healthcare workers.

In a related matter, on Thursday the deputy minister he will be briefing the prime minister regarding the costs of acquiring millions of doses of swine flu vaccines.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)