The number of deaths in mainland France from the H1N1 swine flu virus jumped in the last week, according to official data on Thursday.

The toll rose to 68 deaths as of Nov. 22, with 22 new deaths last week.

Six of the 68 victims had no underlying health problems, the country’s health monitoring institute said.

Health minister Roselyne Bachelot said 750,000 people had already been vaccinated but admitted that many vaccination centres were facing long waiting lines.

The H1N1 pandemic continues to spread and has killed thousands of people around the world.

PARIS (Reuters)