HAVANA – Cuban public health authorities reported the first three deaths from the AH1N1 flu virus on the island and said that to date 621 cases of the disease have been confirmed.

The deputy minister for clinical assistance, Jose Angel Portal, said that the three fatalities from swine-flu virus were all pregnant women.

The deputy minister’s announcement came during a TV program in which a group of health authorities discussed the status of the epidemic on the island.

The specialist said that for pregnant women, one of the groups running the highest risk of catching the illness because of their biological and social vulnerability, special preventive measures, epidemiological vigilance and opportune treatment have been adopted to fight contagion.

Previously there had been no reports of deaths from the AH1N1 virus in Cuba.

The number of confirmed cases was updated by the deputy minister of hygiene, epidemiology and microbiology, Luis Estruch, who said that 621 cases have been registered, of whom 177 are children.

Estruch said that Cuba has purchased $2.5 million worth of stocks of the seasonal flu vaccine, which it plans to begin administering to high-risk groups by the end of the year.

With regard to the new vaccine to combat the AH1N1 virus, he said that the island is seeking the help of international organizations for its future acquisition.

But he said that “prevention” is “the best vaccine” against the pandemic and other illnesses like dengue, a disease transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and of which there have been several outbreaks on the island.

“This is an epidemic, it’s a complicated time, and it’s stressing us a great deal,” the deputy minister said, adding that the nation “is prepared, calmly and without panic,” to face the current epidemic.