HELSINKI (AFP) - Finnish health authorities confirmed Monday the country's first death related to swine flu in a 25-year-old woman who also suffered from another illness.

"She was diagnosed on October 16 with a respiratory infection caused by swine flu and she was given Tamiflu medication on the same day," a statement by the National Institute for Health and Welfare said.

The institute added the woman, who died Saturday in western Finland, had also been suffering from a long-term illness and that the circumstances surrounding her death were being investigated further.

"A death related to the influenza A(H1N1) virus was expected in Finland, because the virus has spread widely around the world," it said, but added the Nordic country was well-prepared for the expected epidemic.

The World Health Organisation said last week nearly 5,000 people had died due to swine flu, most of them in North and South America.

Finnish statistics showed that a total of 520 swine flu cases have been confirmed in the Nordic country and that most of the around 50 cases detected during the past two weeks had been in northern Finland.

The institute said vaccination of health personnel against swine flu had started around the country and the plan was to start inoculating pregnant women this week.

Finland has signed a 37-million euro (a 56-million dollar) deal with British pharmaceutical group GlaxoSmithKline for some 5.3 million swine flu vaccine doses.

The authorities expect that some two million Finns belonging to risk groups -- including those who are under the age of 24, have a serious illness, are pregnant or work in the health sector -- will be vaccinated against the virus by the end of the year.

A decision about vaccinating the remaining 3.5 million Finns will be made later, it added.