Burnham to give swine flu update

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In a statement to the Commons before Parliament rises for the summer recess, he is expected to provide the latest information on the outbreak ahead of the launch of a new flu hotline at the end of the week.

It follows attempts by health officials to allay fears over the impact of the illness on pregnant women and young children over the weekend.

The Department of Health (DH) clarified its advice on how expectant mothers should protect themselves following a series of apparently mixed messages.

Concerns were heightened after a woman with swine flu died last week shortly after giving birth prematurely. The 39-year-old woman, who died in Whipps Cross Hospital, was named by her brother as Ruptara Miah.

The total number of deaths linked to swine flu now stands at 29 in the UK.

Although experts said the virus was mild in the majority of cases, NHS advice stated that pregnant women were more susceptible to infections and should take precautions.

The Government is expected to face a dilemma when it comes to deciding who will be vaccinated when doses become available later this year amid conflicting advice on inoculating mothers-to-be.

While the DH said the vaccine would be made available to as many people as possible, Louise Silverton, deputy general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, warned vaccination was not usually recommended for pregnant women. "It may be that this is a decision that needs very very careful thought particularly if we don't want to cause more harm by the vaccination than we prevent by preventing the illness," she told the BBC.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said no decisions had yet been made on exactly who would be vaccinated.