Brazilian health authorities reported the deaths of 10 more people in the southern part of the country from the AH1N1 swine flu virus, bringing the toll to 133 so far this year.
The new fatalities were registered in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Parana, regions that share a border with Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
So far this year in southern Brazil, authorities have registered 1,900 cases of swine flu, according to the state-run news agency Agencia Brasil.
The health ministry is scheduled late this week to send 400,000 doses of swine flu vaccine to Parana with the aim of immunizing children between the ages of 2 and 5.
That group is not included in the risk category to whom the vaccine is being distributed on a priority basis. In that category are pregnant women, patients with chronic illnesses and babies under age 2.
Health Minister Alexandre Padilha has ruled out the risk of a swine flu epidemic in Brazil.
