The European Commission has cleared for distribution in Europe a third vaccine to fight swine flu, amid fears of a second wave of the potentially deadly virus, an EU official said Friday.
The move came after the London-based European Medicines Agency (EMEA) recommended on October 2 that the Celvapan vaccine, produced by US drugs firm Baxter, be used across the EU's 27 member nations.
European authorities have already fast-tracked approval of two other vaccines -- Pandemrix from British firm GlaxoSmithKline and Focetria from Swiss peer Novartis -- amid mounting fears about the new winter influenza season.
In Britain, which is European nation worst hit by swine flu, vaccinations are expected to begin later this month.
Governments in the northern hemisphere have ordered swine flu vaccines ahead of the winter season as they brace for a second wave of the virus, which spread across the world after emerging in Mexico and the United States in April.
At least 4,525 people have died from swine flu infections since the A(H1N1) virus was uncovered in April, the World Health Organisation said Friday.
This is an increase of 417 fatal cases from a week ago when 4,108 deaths were recorded, the UN health agency said in its weekly update of the pandemic.
Most deaths occurred in the Americas region, where 3,292 fatalities have been reported. Some 890 people have died from the infection in the Asia-Pacific region, while at least 193 fatal cases have been recorded in Europe.
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AFP 091703 GMT 10 09
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