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Swine flu leads to rise in ICU admissions

The swine flu virus remains the dominant flu strain this year
The swine flu virus remains the dominant flu strain this year The swine flu virus remains the dominant flu strain this year

SWINE flu continues to be the dominant strain of the winter flu bug - leading to more seriously ill people being admitted to hospital intensive care units (ICUs) than this time last year.

The virus claimed the life of a man in Craigavon Area hospital last month but the weekly bulletin from the north's Public Health Agency (PHA) show there have been no further deaths.

Overall, there have been 73 flu-related admissions to ICUs across the north since the beginning of the year - of which 60 had swine flu.

Most patients had other underlying illnesses.

New PHA figures also show the outbreak is bigger than the previous two years with a total of 401 cases diagnosed over the past nine weeks.

Despite pleas from health authorities, vaccination uptake rates have dropped significantly with fewer than half of young children between the ages of two and four receiving the jab. Fewer pensioners also availed of the free vaccine which protect against different strains of flu.

Despite the increased number of hospital admissions, the virus is nowhere near the epidemic levels of 2009 when swine flu was linked to the deaths of almost 30 people in Northern Ireland.

PHA officials note that winter flu levels remain "stable" this year, but say that swine flu is the “predominant circulating strain”.

GP visits by patients affected have also decreased.

Despite the approach of spring, a PHA spokesman urged those at risk to still get the winter flu vaccination.

"Protection against H1N1 (swine flu) is contained within the seasonal flu vaccine that is offered free to over-65s, pre-school children aged between two and four years old, all primary school-aged children and individuals in 'at risk' groups, such as pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions like asthma or heart conditions," he said.

"The Public Health Agency encourages anyone in these groups who has not yet received their vaccination to contact their GP to arrange an appointment."