There is a growing sense of optimism people may only have to get one dose of the swine flu vaccine rather than two, the State's chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said today.
The two pandemic vaccines to be used in the Republic have now been licensed and their licence states two doses of each should be given three weeks apart to guard against swine flu.
But Dr Holohan told a press briefing at Government buildings this afternoon there was "a growing sense of optimism ... that we may get away ... with only having to give each person one dose of the vaccine".
He added that if this were the case this would greatly expedite the planned national swine flu vaccination programme and make it logistically less complex. "So we are optimistic about that," he said.
He confirmed swine flu infection rates were continuing to increase, with the influenza like illness rate in the community rising to 88 cases per 100,000 of the population in the past week, up from 76.3 per 100,000 the previous week.
He said a further 46 people had been hospitalised with swine flu in the past week, bringing the total numbers hospitalised with pandemic H1N1 flu to date to 229. Some 34 patients remain in hospital.
In addition four more people were admitted to intensive care as a result of swine flu in the past week, bringing to 19 the numbers that have had to be admitted to intensive care to date. Some 11 patients remain in intensive care.
To date four patients in the State have died from swine flu.
Most of those hospitalised have been under 35 years of age.
Dr Holohan said he expected the State would receive between 400,000 and 500,000 doses of swine flu vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline in the next four weeks and these would be used for at-risk groups.
Meanwhile a fresh letter is being sent today by the HSE and the Department of Health to GPs, clarifying a range of issues they were concerned about in relation to the request to them last week that they vaccinate at-risk groups aged six month to 65 years. These would include people with diabetes, chronic illness, obesity and pregnant women.
GPs are being asked in this latest letter to indicate by next Wednesday if they are willing to participate in the vaccination programme. They will receive ¤10 for each dose of the swine flu vaccine administered and its hoped they will begin vaccinating on October 19th.
The HSE says market research conducted by it indicates about 75 per cent of people are well disposed towards getting the new vaccine.
Dr Darina O'Flanagan, director of the national Health Protection Surveillance Centre, stressed the importance of getting the vaccine which will be offered to everyone in due course. She said while swine flu is mild in most cases, for some it can be fatal.