Child is latest swine flu victim

The Health Secretary said there is no cause for alarm

A child from the Ayrshire and Arran area has died from swine flu, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon confirmed.

The youngster was suffering from an underlying health condition.

This death brings the total number of H1N1-related deaths in Scotland to 38 after a death in Dumfries and Galloway - the second in that area in a week.

Ms Sturgeon said: "This is a tragic loss for the child's family and my thoughts are with them at this devastating time.

She added: "While we have seen increasing number of deaths in recent weeks, I would like to reassure people that there is no more cause for alarm.

Resistant virus

"The virus is not becoming more virulent, but as more people are contracting the virus we will see an increase in the number of people who experience complications.

"Fortunately it is a mild illness for most, but people with underlying health conditions are at greater risk of complications which is why they are a priority for vaccination."

It has also emerged that two people in Scotland have been found with a strain of the virus resistant to Tamiflu.

However, Ms Sturgeon said both patients concerned had made a full recovery and another drug could be taken to treat the virus.

She told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "This is a rare occurrence but it's not of huge concern and it's certainly not a sign that swine flu is mutating into something more serious.

Health Protection Scotland monitor these things carefully, but at this stage there's no cause for people to be concerned Nicola Sturgeon Health secretary

"It's something that can happen when an individual is on anti-virals for a prolonged period of time."

The patients concerned, and others across the UK, developed a resistance only to the Tamiflu drug.

Ms Sturgeon added: "We have stockpiles of another anti-viral which can be used to treat patients.

"Secondly, there's absolutely no evidence of person to person transmission of a resistant H1N1 strain.

"Health Protection Scotland monitor these things carefully, but at this stage there's no cause for people to be concerned."

Ms Sturgeon also said there was no evidence of serious side effects to the swine flu vaccine, despite recent reports that some NHS staff had fallen ill.

Scotland now has about 40% of the supplies it needs to vaccinate the priority groups, including pregnant women and frontline healthcare workers, she added.

All GP practices now have some supplies of the vaccine.