Vaccination against swine flu has been extended indefinitely after fewer than 90,000 of Malta's more than 400,000 inhabitants took the jab.

This is the second time the vaccination period has been extended. It was initially meant to end on February 7 and the deadline was then set to today.

A magisterial inquiry into the death of 23-year-old Clayton Calleja, who died suddenly on January 13 just days after he took the flu jab, is still under way.

The authorities had launched an investigation to see whether there was a link between Mr Calleja's death - who was described as "perfectly healthy" by his parents - and the swine flu jab.

The health authorities had said that Mr Calleja could have had an "underlying medical condition" and that his death had no "apparent" connection with the jab.

Answering questions by The Times, a spokesman for the Community Care Parliamentary Secretariat said there have been no serious complications reported from the vaccine and nobody required hospitalisation due to complications.

On Thursday, the World Health Organisation said this year's seasonal flu vaccine should include the pandemic H1N1 virus. But the authorities are still encouraging people to take the swine flu jab rather than wait for the seasonal influenza vaccine.

"There are still at least nine months to go and people should protect themselves for this period," the spokesman said.

Moreover, it will not be a problem for those who have already had the H1N1 vaccine to receive a second dose in conjunction with the seasonal jab.

The government had ordered 425,000 swine flu vaccines, 80,000 of which have still to be delivered. Last week a spokesman for the Parliamentary Secretariat said the authorities were considering trying to cancel the remaining jabs with a decision expected in the coming weeks.

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