Two more die of swine flu in Turkey

The latest victims of the A(H1N1) virus were a 31-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man who was also suffering from a chronic disease.

Two more people died of swine flu in Turkey on Tuesday, bringing the national death toll to 11, the health ministry said.

The latest victims of the A(H1N1) virus were a 31-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man who was also suffering from a chronic disease, the ministry said in a statement on its website, without giving any details.

Turkey recorded its first victim of swine flu on October 24 and there has been an increase in the mortality rate in recent days. Five people succumbed to the A(H1N1) virus on Monday alone.

Hospitals began vaccinating medical workers on Monday, along with people who would travel to Mecca for the hajj pilgrimage, amid widespread public concern over the efficiency and safety of the swine flu vaccine.

Health Minister Recep Akdag also had his injection on Tuesday.

Turkey received the first batch of 500,000 doses of the vaccine against the virus last month.

It plans to buy a total of 43 million doses and vaccinate 28 million people.

Ankara has reported some 1,870 cases of swine flu since the disease was first diagnosed in the country in May.