A FIVE- YEAR-OLD boy is the latest to die from the Influenza A (H1N1) virus here.

This brings the total number of deaths rnlated to H1N1 here to 21.

The boy had no underlying conditions and died at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital two days ago, said a Ministry of Health spokesman.

The death comes barely two weeks after the Health Ministry revised the H1N1 flu alert status from yellow to green.

The ministry said then that "since the onset of the pandemic in Singapore, a significant number of local residents would have acquired natural immunity from the Influenza A (H1N1) infection".

It is estimated that more than 420,,0O0 people here have been infected with the H1N1 virus and more than 420,000 residents have had the H1N1 vaccine jab since it was made available last November.

But two days ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said it is too early to declare that the peak of the H1N1 pandemic is over.

The WHO said that a decline in flu cases had not been seen worldwide and while countries such as the United States are reporting fewer infections, others such as Mauritania and Senegal are seeing an increase.

Nearly 16,000 people have died worldwide from the H1N1 strain after it spread to 212 countries and territories since it was uncovered in Mexico and the US in April last year, according to WHO data.
 
In Singapore, most infected persons have experienced only mild illness.

There have been more than 1,600 hospital admissions from complications related to the H1N1 infection since July last year, including about 100 admissions to intensive care.