HELSINKI, Nov. 4 (Xinhua) -- An eight-year-old girl died from A/H1N1 virus on Monday in Tornio, in northern Finland, Finland's Ministry of Social Affairs and Health confirmed on Wednesday.

    This is the second fatality resulting from the virus in Finland. A 25-year old chronic woman infected with A/H1N1 virus died on Oct.24, indicating the first fatal case of A/H1N1 flu in Finland.

    A total of 1,213 cases of A/H1N1 flu have been confirmed so far. However, the actual number of A/H1N1 flu patients is several times higher. Only a fraction of suspected cases are confirmed with laboratory tests.

    Officials from Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare said the number of confirmed A/H1N1 flu cases has more than doubled over the past weeks. Most of the new cases have occurred in northern Finland. But the virus is moving now rapidly to the south of Finland from the north.

    A/H1N1 flu has been spreading in the Uusimaa region in the south of Finland, said Professor Ville Valtonen, head physician responsible for infectious diseases at the Helsinki and Uusimaa hospital District. Several schools and military garrisons report suspected cases of the disease.

    Markku Kuusi, a senior medical officer at the National Institute for Health and Welfare said. "It is quite obvious that the disease will peak at different times in different parts of the country. In the south, we are waiting for the real onset of the disease. In about four to five weeks, we will begin to approach the height of the outbreak."

    Over 600,000 doses of the vaccine have been distributed around Finland. Vaccinations for high-risk groups are underway, but demand for the vaccine exceeds supplies.