PARENTS of young children should not be unduly alarmed following the death of a Victorian three-year-old boy with swine flu, federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says.
Ms Roxon says swine flu remains mild for the majority of people and they recover without medical intervention.
The boy died in his Doveton home in Melbourne's southeast on June 26 but his death was only announced yesterday.
He is the first child with swine flu to die in Australia.
Ms Roxon refused to say if the toddler had underlying medical issues, saying the case is now in the hands of police and the coroner.
"The death of any child is a tragedy,'' Ms Roxon said.
"There are police and coronial inquiries being undertaken and it is simply not appropriate for me to make any comment on the case.
"I want to assure people that they should not be unduly alarmed.
"This is a serious disease and it can be severe in some people but it is mild overall for most people.''
So far 10 people in Australia - seven from Victoria - have died while suffering from swine flu. Click here to read the full story