TAIPEI, Taiwan - The Department of Health (DOH) announced yesterday a nationwide campaign to give A(H1N1) flu vaccination to all people willing to take the shots beginning in 10 days.

Health Minister Yaung Chih-liang said the DOH has designated Saturday, Dec. 12 for the "1212 vaccination campaign" to allow all people living and working in Taiwan to get the vaccine regardless of age.

Liang said close to 2 million residents have get the vaccine shots during the past month since the vaccination program was kicked off on Nov. 1 for Typhoon Morakot victims in southern Taiwan and followed with medical care personnel all around the island on Nov. 2.

In subsequent phases, vaccine injection was offered to infants, pregnant women, elementary school pupils while the schedule for high school students was advanced.

President Ma Ying-jeou and senior officials have also received the flu vaccines to help promote health awareness and support for the anti-flu campaign while bolstering public confidence in locally produced vaccines.

In order to beef up the containment on the spread of the viruses of the new flu, vaccine shots will be opened to all people soon.

The more people receiving vaccines at the earliest stage will help the nation more effectively control the viruses, Yaung said.

People can directly go to hospitals and public health stations in their neighborhoods to take the vaccination.

The DOH will also coordinate with larger hospitals to set up vaccination stations at public places with larger crowds, he said.

The DOH had earlier set a goal of completing vaccination for at least 12 million people - half of residents on the island - before the forthcoming Chinese Lunar New Year holidays in February.

DOH officials expressed the hope that the new drive to be launched next month will help achieve the target at an earlier date.

As of late Friday last week, 67,000 students were affected as 1,925 classes in 802 schools remained closed islandwide because of H1N1 infections among the students.

The number of affected classes accounted for 1.28 percent of the total, reaching yet another high since the outbreak began, according to the latest statistics released by the Central Epidemics Command Center (CEC) showed.