916 patients have been discharged from hospital after treatment and 359 patients are in quarantine in stable condition, according to the Ministry of Health. 

Nguyen Huy Nga, a Ministry of Health official, told a meeting of the National Board for Human Influenza Control on August 12 that current treatment facilities may not meet future demand as the number of flu cases has steadily climbed.

Mr Nga, who heads the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environment, warned that this could lead to a rise in the number of fatalities, especially among patients with chronic conditions such as those related to the cardiovascular system, diabetes and respiratory illnesses.

Meanwhile, the Director of the Vaccine and Bio-products Company No.1, Nguyen Thu Van, said that Vietnam could produce a vaccine for the A/H1N1 flu as early as the end of 2010.

The Health Ministry has asked the people to ensure their own personal hygiene and wear facemasks to control the epidemic.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has reported that 168 countries and territories all over the world have confirmed 215,090 cases of A/H1N1 flu as of August 12, including 1,735 deaths.