**The European drugs regulator has given the go-ahead for one of the UK’s swine flu vaccines.**An expert committee agreed that Pandemrix, made by GlaxoSmithKline, can be used in adults and children over six months old and pregnant women.
The decision removes one of the last obstacles to getting the immunisation programme under way although licensing still needs to be formalised.
The UK has bought 60 million doses of the vaccine.
In addition, there are contracts for an as yet unapproved vaccine, Celvapan, produced by Baxter.
It means the UK has provision for up to 132 million doses - enough for every person in the country.
A vaccine made by Novartis, Focetria, has also been approved by the European Medicines Agency.
Final marketing authorisation for the vaccines will be signed off by the European Commission and is expected shortly.
The vaccines have undergone an accelerated approval process as “mock-ups” of the vaccine had already been developed in preparation for a pandemic.
Manufacturers have worked quickly to add the swine flu H1N1 strain to the mock versions.
Early trial data had suggested good immune responses with just one dose of the vaccine.
However, the EMEA is recommending two doses are given three weeks apart, but may revisit that decision as more clinical trials are carried out.
Rising cases
The number of new cases of swine flu in England has almost doubled over the last seven days to 9,000, official figures show.
Although the figures are rising, they are still far short of the 100,000 cases a week seen in July.
Officials are still predicting a second wave of swine flu as winter approaches.
But they hope to begin a vaccination programme sometime next month.