Health authorities in Tibet's regional capital Lhasa Monday began giving free A/H1N1 influenza vaccinations to about 5,000 monks and nuns in all temples and nunneries in the city.

"The inoculations are voluntary," said Chodar, deputy director of the Lhasa Municipal Bureau of Health.

Health authorities last week informed the monks and nuns about the health situation and explained the necessity of the vaccination, he said.

It is not known how many of the monks and nuns, who are from all temples in seven counties and a district administered by Lhasa, will choose to be vaccinated.

"We will finish the inoculations by Friday," Chodar said.

On October 4, Tibet reported the first death of A/H1N1 flu on the Chinese mainland -- an 18-year-old woman in Lhasa's Maizhokunggar County.

The mainland had reported 65,927 confirmed cases of the A/H1N1 flu by Friday, the Ministry of Health said.

A total of 43 people had died and 49,770 had recovered.

By Saturday, Chinese health authorities had inoculated more than 15 million people with the China-made A/H1N1 flu vaccines, the ministry said.

In Lhasa, health authorities had vaccinated more than 100,000 people. About 70 percent of school children and teachers had been inoculated, Chodar said.

"No one has shown a serious adverse reaction after the inoculation. Only few people showed slight adverse reactions, such as dizziness, nausea and inflammation, but the symptoms disappeared within 24 hours of medical treatment," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2009)