THE H1N1 INFLUENZA virus has claimed 42 lives across the age spectrum as three more patient died over the weekend.

Two of the news deaths were reported in Arraijan, while the other was of an infant in the Comarca Ngäbe Buglé. The child died at the José Domingo De Obaldía Hospital in Chiriquí.

Health official Néstor Sosa said that a total of 2,187 people have had to be hospitalized due to respiratory infections caused by the influenza epidemic.

Of these, 366 remain in hospital.

Monday, the government received another shipment of 200,000

vaccines. The  Ministry of Health  reports that 1,647,597  vaccinations have been administered.