10,000 officials, police officers and media personnel will receive the H1N1 vaccination ahead of seriously ill patients

Journalists and ministry officials have been placed at the top of the queue for Influenza A H1N1 vaccines because of the climate conference, reports BT newspaper.

The National Board of Health plans to vaccinate 750,000 Danes in at-risk categories, including those suffering from long-term illnesses, pregnant woman and key civilians, such as police.

According to documents seen by BT, the government has decided to prioritise 10,000 people to receive the vaccine due to their involvement in December’s conference, which will see an estimated 25,000 diplomats and lobbyists descend on Copenhagen.

‘It’s correct that we won’t be able to vaccinate all 750,000 people in the at-risk groups before we vaccinate those taking part in the conference,’ said Jesper Fisker, head of the National Board of Health.

According to Fisker, the Foreign Ministry and National Police are responsible for ensuring the 6500 officers and hundreds of officials and journalists get priority for the vaccine.

Both national broadcasters DR and TV2 had applied for and were granted permission to include their staff in the key employee vaccination category as a precautionary measure to ensure continued news coverage for the nation.