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A family of three wear face masks to protect against swine flu as they wait for a bus in the Central district of Hong Kong.ANTONY DICKSON

The World Health Organization says health-care workers should have priority to pandemic vaccine when it becomes available.

The aim is to protect them and to ensure the ability of health-care systems to function at a time when demands are expected to be great. The recommendation comes from a group of experts who advise the WHO on vaccine issues.

The group, known as the SAGE, didn't list other priority groups in any order, saying it is up to individual countries to decide who they want to vaccinate and in what order.

But the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization suggests countries might want to consider vaccinating pregnant women, young children and healthy adults, who are among those hardest hit so far by the new pandemic virus.

The WHO says manufacturers are reporting that vaccine yield so far is low, but it's hoped that this problem can be worked out in coming weeks.

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