Lima, Sep 2 (EFE) Some seven million people will be vaccinated against swine flu in Peru, Health Minister Oscar Ugarte has said.

The health ministry is in the process of acquiring the vaccine and plans to have it available in November, Ugarte told the official Andina news agency.

'The World Health Organization and the pharmaceutical companies are still setting the rules of the game, but we have appropriated funds for buying the vaccine anyway and it will go to groups in the population at risk on a priority basis,' the health minister said.

Peru is spending some 300 million soles ($102 million) on the AH1N1 flu vaccine, Ugarte said.

Children and the aged and 'those who have some other complication that could make their condition worse' will be given priority in the vaccination programme, the health minister said.

A total of 98 people have died from swine flu in Peru, with 18 new deaths registered since last week's report, Ugarte said, adding that the latest victims belonged to high-risk groups.

Health officials also confirmed 353 new cases of the disease, bringing to 6,961 the number of people infected with the Influenza A (H1N1) virus in the Andean nation, the health minister said.