China said Tuesday the country was facing a "grim" situation in its efforts to stave off fresh outbreaks of swine flu, as monitors in France said the number of cases there was much higher than claimed.
The pessimistic news came as the northern hemisphere prepares for the onset of autumn and winter, which experts believe will result in an expected second wave of the global A(H1N1) influenza pandemic.
China, the world's most populous country, is scheduled to launch its nationwide vaccination programme "this week", Health Minister Chen Zhu told reporters, but he admitted Beijing was facing an uphill battle.
"China will be facing a grim situation in the prevention and control of the A(H1N1) flu," Chen said, adding that supply of vaccines would "fall far short of demand if compared to the demand of 1.3 billion people".
