Government hospitals and all primary health centres in the district have received swine flu vaccines provided by the Department of Health and Family Welfare.

While 9,000 doses of vaccines have been distributed by the Department to all the hospitals, the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) alone has received 3,000 doses.

According to higher officials from the Health Department, the hospitals have been advised to use the vaccines for patients cautiously.

“The hospitals have been instructed to administer the vaccines only to high risk cases such as immediate relatives of the swine flu affected persons, health workers and others,” said an official.

The officials further added that despite not observing any swine flu victims last year, the vaccines will be administered to all the persons if symptoms of the virus are observed and to those who are prone to contracting it.