The 59-year-old was admitted to Ben Tre’s hospital on September 16 with a severe cough and respiratory difficulties and later transferred to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, said Nguyen Huy Nga, head of the ministry’s Preventive Health Department.

Five days later, the Pasteur Institute in HCMC confirmed that she had influenza A (H1N1). She died that night.

Also on Wednesday, Vietnam reported 194 more cases of H1N1 infection.

As things stand, 90 percent of people with flu in Vietnam have swine flu, compared to 70 percent last week.

Since the disease emerged here in May, it has infected 7,636 people and killed ten. The first two fatalities were recorded last month, as against eight this month.

In the meantime, Le Quy Don, deputy head of the Ministry of Education’s Students Affairs Department, said 100 flu outbreaks have been reported at the nation’s institutes of learning, from preschools to universities.

In response to the rising number of deaths and infections, the Ministry of Health has decided to make A/H1N1 vaccine available from early next year for at-risk groups like pregnant women and people with chronic diseases, Nga said.

On the same day, the US Embassy in Hanoi said the United States would support Vietnam’s efforts to combat bird flu and other pandemic influenza through a three-year project with likely funding of US$10 million.

Scheduled to begin next month, the project will include joint cross-border pandemic exercises with China and Laos, and support to develop and improve pandemic preparation in Vietnam’s provinces, according to a press release on Wednesday.

Five provinces will benefit from the project: Can Tho, Ha Nam, Hung Yen, Kien Giang and Quang Tri. Funding for the first year will be $3.6 million.

What happens in the next two years will depend on the available funding.

Since 2005, the US Government has allocated around $50 million to help Vietnam combat avian and pandemic influenza.

Source: Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre