India is expected to start administering imported H1N1 vaccine to the risky groups by the coming week.

Mr. V. M. Katoch, secretary (Health Research) in ministry of health and family welfare told, "Most likely, we will start the vaccination next week."

Mr. Katoch also said that multinational drug company Sanofi Pasteur has already finished its bridge research and the information has been forwarded to a health ministry group for investigation.

"The last set of data from Sanofi Pasteur's bridge study in India came to us Feb 28. The data is now with a government committee, which is analysing it."

"We expect the analysis to end in a few days and vaccination most likely to start the coming week," he said, adding that the risky groups like physicians and paramedicals will be inoculated first.

The country has already secured 1.5 million doses of H1N1 vaccine from the pharma major.

However, functioaries asked the Sanofi Pasteur to carry out a bridge human trail in India to examine if it suits the Indian people.

Since, India reported its first swine flu case during May 2009, more than 1,300 people lost their lives because of the deadly virus and approx 30,000 have been infected by it. (With Input from Agencies)