Sturgeon pledge as man's death takes Scots swine flu toll up to 47

Published on Friday 27 November 2009 21:39

THERE was another swine flu-related death in Scotland yesterday, taking the death toll this week to seven.

An adult from the Ayrshire area is the latest victim and brings the total number of deaths in Scotland to 47, health bosses said.

The patient had an underlying health condition.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "It is with regret I can confirm another H1N1-related death. My thoughts are with the patient's family and friends.

"I want to reassure the public that we are doing everything we can to fight H1N1. The vaccination programme is progressing well, and I urge everyone who is invited by their GP to accept the vaccine.

"We still remain firmly on track to have invited everyone within the first phase of the priority groups to take up the vaccine by Christmas."

There were fears that a new strain of the virus might be mutating in other European countries.

French health officials said two people have died after being diagnosed with a slightly mutated swine flu virus.

Last week, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it is investigating samples of variant swine flu linked to two deaths and one severe case in Norway, but that so far the significance of the mutation is unclear.

The WHO says the same mutation has been found in both fatal and mild cases elsewhere.