Two more women have died from the swine flu virus in the last week, the Department of Health confirmed this evening.
The women, from the west and east of the country, both had underlying medical conditions.
The Department of Health's deputy chief medical officer Dr John Devlin insisted the virus was mild in most cases, with the vast majority of patients able to care for themselves at home.
He said that infection figures had increased slightly, with the latest figures equating to about 3,600 cases of infection a week. A total of 28 people remain in hospital, with ten in intensive care.
In July, a young women suffering from cystic fibrosis became the first swine flu fatality in the State. In August, a man in his mid 50s with a history of heart disease also died from the virus.
At today's briefing it was also announced that the Department of Health has written to the State's GPs asking them to take part in a widespread vaccination programme, to begin later this month. GPs will be asked to identify the 400,000 people around the country at risk.
The letter said it would pay doctors €10 per vaccination. Earlier this week the European Commission authorised two H1N1 swine flu vaccines – one of which is to be used in Ireland – paving the way for mass vaccinations before the start of the flu season.
The two drugs are Pandemrix, which is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline and is to be used in Ireland, and Focetria, which is manufactured by Novartis.
The HSE plans to set up 60 to 100 mass vaccination clinics once the vaccine is licensed and delivered.
The HSE has indicated the vaccine will be offered to everyone but will begin with people with long-term medical conditions and healthcare workers.
The HSE has also ordered vaccines from another vaccine manufacturer, Baxter. This vaccine has not yet received regulatory approval but the company expects this to happen shortly.