Government officials are attempting to calm fears in Britain after a previously healthy 6 year old girl died suddenly after contracting swine flu. Chloe Buckley from London died soon after being taken to hospital, though it has not been confirmed whether the cause of death was swine flu or whether the patient had any underlying health problems. Earlier reports that a family GP from Bedfordshire died from swine flu were not correct: he died of natural causes.

Doctors have been criticised for not immediately prescribing the child Tamiflu. Initially, she was diagnosed as having tonsillitis and sent home, but her condition rapidly worsened. Her parents have issued a statement stating that they are happy with the care that she was given and reports in the press were not correct.

Research coming from America and Japan has suggested that the strain of influenza can cause considerably more damage to the lungs than ordinary seasonal flu, while a study just published in the journal Nature has indicated that swine flu should be treated as being more severe than the seasonal kind.

Andy Burnham, the Health Secretary, has asked parents not to panic. Speaking on GMTV, Mr. Burnham pointed out that many children had only experienced mild symptoms and had recovered well from the virus and said that people needed to keep the recent deaths in “perspective”.

A vaccine for the virus is currently being developed and is expected to arrive at the end of August. It is thought that the full vaccination program will be rolled at the start of September. The government says that it has ordered enough vaccine for the whole of the British population and it is likely that the most vulnerable - those with underlying health problems and the elderly - will be immunised first. People may need two separate vaccinations to ensure immunity.