Ten more people have died from swine flu in Turkey, taking the toll from the disease to 40, the health ministry said Wednesday.
An initial statement from the ministry said six people, among them two nine-year-old children and a baby less than a year of age, had lost their lives while being treated for the A(H1N1) virus.
A second statement a few hours later said the disease had claimed four more lives, including a one-year-old, pushing the national toll to 40.
Deaths from swine flu have risen rapidly in Turkey in recent days after the first fatality on October 24.
The statement added that 145 people were under treatment for swine flu across the country and that 33 of them remained in intensive care.
Nine patients were kept on respirators, it said.
On November 2, hospitals began vaccinating medical workers and people planning to travel to Mecca for the hajj pilgrimage -- the first move in a campaign to vaccinate 28 million of the country's population of 71 million.
The ministry said it would begin on Monday next week to vaccinate children less than five years of age and those with chronic diseases that put them at risk of catching swine flu.
The vaccination campaign coincides with widespread public concern on the safety, efficiency and possible side effects of the injection, despite appeals by Health Minister Recep Akdag for calm.
ba-han/mjs
Health-flu-Turkey
AFP 111150 GMT 11 09
COPYRIGHT 2002 Agence France-Presse. All rights reserved.