The officials also announced children from 6 months to 9 years old will require atleast two doses of the swine flu vaccine since they are more vulnerable to the pandemic.
One dose enough for pregnant women
In a recent trial, 50 pregnant women were given one 15-microgram dose of the swine flu vaccine each.
An analysis of their blood samples taken 21 days after they had received the jab showed that 92 percent of these women had experienced sufficient immune response to be protected against the pandemic.
"This should be reassuring news for those women who have already received the vaccine, and it is vital information for those women who have not been vaccinated," said Anthony S. Fauci of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Single shot triggered weaker response in children
Additionally, the data from the blood tests on 583 children suggested that only 25 percent of those aged 6 months to 35 months and only 55 percent of those aged 3 to 9 years were found to have a strong immune response after receiving one shot of the swine flu vaccine.
However, all the children experienced a strong immune response once they received a second dose of the swine flu vaccine.
The findings are contrary to what World Health organisation (WHO) said last week that a single dose may be sufficient for children.
Millions of vaccines in circulation
In the wake of the second wave of the pandemic flu, millions of doses of the swine flu vaccine have been rushed to different states.
As of now, as many as 30 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine are available for the states. However, the federal officials had predicted 120 million by this time.
"Over time, we expect that supply will start to increase and eventually catch up with the tremendous demand that we are seeing now," stated Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"As of today, 30 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine are available for the states to order," she added.
To monitor the national vaccination drive and analyse the vaccine’s safety, a special team of non-government experts had been formed as announced by the federal officials.
These panel experts will meet every two weeks and report monthly, however, members can meet by teleconference on short notice if necessary, they informed.
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