The total number of death cases caused by influenza A/H1N1 rose to 18 in Tunisia where more than 3,000 people were infected, official TAP news agency reported Tuesday.

"We reported 18 deaths caused by the A/H1N1 flu in the country so far with 3,200 people infected," Noureddine Achour, general director of the National Observatory of Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases was quoted as saying.

"The government had allocated 10 million dinars (US$7.68 million) to buy the needed amount of vaccines in anticipation of the cold waves expected in the months of January and February, 2010," he added.

The government has provided 300,000 doses of vaccines with adjuvant and 30,000 doses without adjuvant. It opened 368 centers offering free vaccination.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2009)