US government to pay for flu vaccine campaign

(Incorporates FLU-VACCINE/USA)

*US federal government will fully fund H1N1 vaccines

*100 million vaccines to be offered in autumn

*Schools may be one distribution point

*Government looking to buy more antivirals

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON, July 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. government will pay for any vaccination program against the H1N1 swine flu, and may encourage schools to help vaccinate children, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said on Thursday.

The government is also considering buying even more antiviral drugs, including more of GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK.L) inhaled drug Relenza and pediatric doses of Roche AG's (ROG.VX) Tamiflu, officials told a swine flu "summit" at the National Institutes of Health.

Sebelius said plans were on track for a mid-October vaccination program, and she urged states and territories to get plans in place now. It will likely run alongside the annual seasonal flu vaccine campaign and may include schools and other non-traditional sites as vaccination centers.