Kuwait reports 11th swine flu death

The Kuwaiti ministry of health announced the death a swine flu patient, taking the toll to 11, reported the local daily Al Watan.

The latest victim, a 54-year-old expatriate was suffering from chronic heart complications, high blood pressure, respiratory inflammation, and obesity. He was admitted to hospital on Sunday and the tests proved he had H1N1, said the daily.

Health officials said that pilgrims embarking on Haj will be given the priority of receiving the H1N1 vaccine. They further insisted that the vaccine is safe and necessary to protect them from falling sick. Yet the head of the Kuwaiti pharmaceutical association Dr Tariq Al Habib said that distribution of vaccines should not be hurried until further results on its safety are revealed, said the daily.