Switzerland on Thursday lifted some of the restrictions imposed earlier on the use of swine flu vaccine Pandemrix, allowing it to be also used by people over the age of 60.
"The basis for expanding the authorisation is clinical data proving the effectiveness of this vaccine for the said age group," said the regulatory authority Swissmedic in a statement.
The regulator last month authorised British drugs group GlaxoSmithKline's Pandemrix for adults except pregnant women and those over 60. It also blocked young people under the age of 18 from using the vaccine.
Swissmedic spokesman Joachim Gross told AFP that authorities would not allow pregnant women to use the vaccine.
For those below the age of 18 however, "the ban could still be modified according to test results," he added.
A vaccination campaign against the A(H1N1) virus started last week here, as health authorities reported a surge in cases.
On Wednesday, Switzerland reported its first death from the pandemic flu.
The victim was "an infant in the canton Basel country, whose death was attributed to H1N1 influenza," a spokeswoman for the Swiss Interior Ministry, which is responsible for health matters, told AFP.
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AFP 191107 GMT 11 09
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