New Delhi, Dec 11 : With over 20,000 swine flu cases in the country, the central government has initiated talks with four international vaccine manufacturers to import the H1N1 vaccine, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Friday.

"The government is exploring the possibility of importing the H1N1 vaccines and anticipating early release of foreign made vaccines," Azad told the Lok Sabha during question hour.

Azad said the Indian Council of Medical Research is in dialogue with four international vaccine manufacturers - GSK, Baxter, Novartis and Sanofi Pasteur - that have shown interest in selling H1N1 vaccine in India.

"As an interim measure, till the indigenous vaccine supplies become available, these companies are in the process of initiation of the bridging studies to assess safety and tolerability of the vaccines in the diverse Indian population," he said.

However, the health minister said the timings of the availability of the vaccine will depend on various factors, including the outcome of these studies. (IANS)