Officials buy more flu vaccine

The Health Ministry has imported an extra 125,000 doses of seasonal flu vaccine in a bid to stop hospitals being overwhelmed as swine flu spreads.

Yesterday, a 35-year-old man became the second person to die from the disease in Australia.

The total number of confirmed cases in New Zealand was 364 yesterday, up 61 from the day before, with nearly 700 "suspected" cases.

Health Minister Tony Ryall said swine flu was likely to become widespread, putting pressure on hospital emergency departments and GP clinics.

"There may well be lengthier delays in emergency departments and some surgery may need to be deferred because of pressure on hospital beds and staff," he told Parliament.

National stocks of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu are being reserved in case of a more serious "second wave" of the pandemic.

A 30-year-old woman one of seven Wellington Hospital patients with the virus remains in a critical condition in Wellington Hospital's intensive care unit. One patient in Hutt Hospital has the virus.

Deputy director of public health Fran McGrath said while the vaccine did not protect against swine flu, it would stop people being hospitalised with seasonal flu.

"We know that every year about 350 to 400 people die from complications related to seasonal influenza.

"We could expect that this may increase if we have more cases of influenza."

Vaccinating more people against seasonal influenza will also lower the chances of swine flu combining with another strain and becoming resistant to Tamiflu.

More Kiwis than ever have had the flu jab this year.

By mid-May, 807,539 doses had been distributed nationwide, topping the previous total of 756,750 for the entire 2008 flu season.

The programme was to finish at the end of this month but has been extended till September.

Internationally, there have been 52,160 confirmed cases of swine flu, including 231 deaths.

Only one in four Kiwis think they are likely to catch swine flu, a survey by a market research company shows. UMR director Tim Grafton said almost half (44 per cent) of the 750 people polled said they were not concerned about catching swine flu.

"Although most New Zealanders [64 per cent] have been following swine flu pandemic stories in the media closely over the past month, we don't seem to be too concerned about catching it."

Only 24 per cent said they were likely to catch it.

People living outside main centres and those under 30 were least concerned.

Dr McGrath said she was reassured that most New Zealanders were aware of the pandemic but "not panicking".

"However, it's only a matter of time until it spreads more widely, so even people living in smaller towns and cities are unwise to sit back and think they'll be immune to the impact of this virus."