Two more die from swine flu

Two more people have died after contracting swine flu, bringing the total number of fatalities from the virus in the Republic to 24, health authorities confirmed this afternoon.

Both victims were adult males with underlying medical conditions from the east of the country, the Department of Health said.

The rate of influenza-like illness, recorded at the end of last week, was 8.8 per 100,000 of the population, a slight rise on the 7.3 per 100,000 reported the previous week.

At the height of the pandemic last November, the infection rate hit 174 per 100,000 of the population, which equate to about 27,000 people being infected every week.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) said the reported rate of the H1N1 virus remained low and continued to be well below "the seasonal threshold level".

However, it warned the virus could still have a serious impact on certain groups.

The HSE said it would continue to vaccinate schoolchildren and any members of the public who wish to have the vaccine until the end of the month. Pregnant women are also still advised to be vaccinated.

"Anyone who has not yet been vaccinated is advised to come to a HSE clinic for their vaccine as soon as possible as the vaccination programme will cease in just under three weeks time," it said.

The North's health authorities said today that while swine flu activity across the region was fluctuating slightly from week to week, all indicators remain at a low level.

So far the World Health Organisation has confirmed 16,226 deaths from the virus, but the real death toll - which will take at least a year to ascertain - is acknowledged to be far higher, as many victims have never been diagnosed or tested.

The WHO said last month it was too early to say the pandemic had peaked globally, but it will review a decision on whether to declare a "post peak" phase in a few weeks' time.