ROME, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Italy's death toll related to the A/H1N1 flu virus on Friday rose to 45, and many of the victims were children, according to local media reports.

    The latest victim was a nine-year-old child in the southern city of Potenza, who also suffered from meningitis. Five people died on Wednesday alone, while more and more cases of infections are being reported daily across the country.

    However, despite the rise in the A/H1N1 death toll and the fact that Italy now has the highest number of cases in Europe together with Spain, Italian Junior Health Minister Ferruccio Fazio has repeatedly said there was "no flu emergency," nor any reason for pandemic alarmism.

    Fazio asked the public not to give in to mass fear, and to avoid crowding hospitals. He said some 8,000 Italians died last year of seasonal influenza, which in comparison could prove that the A/H1N1 flu virus was not so dangerous.

    Earlier this month the government announced that the flu vaccine would be available from Nov. 15 for an estimated 24 million Italians considered to be most at risk, including the young and the elderly.

    The Health Ministry said on Friday that 147,000 people have already been vaccinated and by December the first 10 million doses of vaccine are to be distributed to the regions.

    Doctors, nurses and public health personnel were vaccinated in mid-October.

    However, health experts expect the flu outbreak to peak in Italy between December and January, with an estimated 1.5 to 3 million cases.