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7 January 2011
Last updated at 09:06 ET
The Public Health Agency has confirmed there have been 13 swine flu related deaths in NI since November.
Nine of those who died while suffering from the H1N1 virus had underlying health conditions.
Dr Carolyn Harper from the PHA said those who died ranged from children to a 67-year-old.
Across the UK 50 deaths have been reported as a result of the flu virus. Of those 45 died with swine flu and five with another strain.
Dr Harper said the figures had been released in the light of the level of public interest. However she stressed that most people recover from the virus.
The government has urged people in at-risk groups, including pregnant women, to get a flu jab.
On Thursday it was confirmed that the number of cases of swine flu had increased from 136 to 185 in the last week of 2010.
Commenting on the latest NI figures, Dr Lorraine Doherty, assistant director of the PHA said: "We have seen a rise in the number of seasonal flu cases. However, flu cases are still not as high as seen during 2008/09 or during last winter's flu pandemic.
"Nevertheless, a number of people are ill in intensive care units with flu and it is thus important that every effort is made to prevent flu transmission in the community. "
Vaccines Dr Richard Smithson, consultant in communicable disease control for the PHA, said that swine flu vaccines were ordered and delivered on a daily basis to GPs in Northern Ireland.
"In England, GPs run on a different ordering system, in which each GP practice individually orders vaccines in the summer, in one go. This can sometimes lead to some GPs running out of vaccines.
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
"In Northern Ireland one order is placed by the PHA to cover all needs and vaccines are then distributed as needed.
"This system has proven to be very robust in previous years when on occasion other parts of the UK have experienced supply difficulties and we have avoided them here."
'Sicker' Earlier, the doctor in charge of acute hospital services in Belfast said there are fewer critical cases of swine flu winter, but those affected are more ill.
Dr Patricia Donnelly said although critical care units were busy, beds were still available in Belfast and across Northern Ireland.
She said in Belfast there were five patients with swine flu in critical care out of a total of 33.
Across NI the number was fluctuating between 25% and 35% of critical beds.
She said there was only one child with swine flu in critical care and another child with a different type of flu.
"A smaller number of patients are affected this time, but those who were affected definitely are sicker," Dr Donnelly said.
"Critical care is always busy throughout the year, but we have well tested plans to increase our capacity as and when it is required.
"At this point in time both in Belfast and across the region we are using those escalation plans and we have created additional capacity."
The PHA is urging all pregnant women to get the swine flu vaccine.
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Nine of those who died while suffering from the H1N1 virus had underlying health conditions.
Dr Carolyn Harper from the PHA said those who died ranged from children to a 67-year-old.
Across the UK 50 deaths have been reported as a result of the flu virus. Of those 45 died with swine flu and five with another strain.
Dr Harper said the figures had been released in the light of the level of public interest. However she stressed that most people recover from the virus.
The government has urged people in at-risk groups, including pregnant women, to get a flu jab.
On Thursday it was confirmed that the number of cases of swine flu had increased from 136 to 185 in the last week of 2010.
Commenting on the latest NI figures, Dr Lorraine Doherty, assistant director of the PHA said: "We have seen a rise in the number of seasonal flu cases. However, flu cases are still not as high as seen during 2008/09 or during last winter's flu pandemic.
"Nevertheless, a number of people are ill in intensive care units with flu and it is thus important that every effort is made to prevent flu transmission in the community. "
Vaccines Dr Richard Smithson, consultant in communicable disease control for the PHA, said that swine flu vaccines were ordered and delivered on a daily basis to GPs in Northern Ireland.
"In England, GPs run on a different ordering system, in which each GP practice individually orders vaccines in the summer, in one go. This can sometimes lead to some GPs running out of vaccines.
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
A smaller number of patients are affected this time, but those who were affected definitely are sicker”
End Quote
Dr Patricia Donnelly
"In Northern Ireland one order is placed by the PHA to cover all needs and vaccines are then distributed as needed.
"This system has proven to be very robust in previous years when on occasion other parts of the UK have experienced supply difficulties and we have avoided them here."
'Sicker' Earlier, the doctor in charge of acute hospital services in Belfast said there are fewer critical cases of swine flu winter, but those affected are more ill.
Dr Patricia Donnelly said although critical care units were busy, beds were still available in Belfast and across Northern Ireland.
She said in Belfast there were five patients with swine flu in critical care out of a total of 33.
Across NI the number was fluctuating between 25% and 35% of critical beds.
She said there was only one child with swine flu in critical care and another child with a different type of flu.
"A smaller number of patients are affected this time, but those who were affected definitely are sicker," Dr Donnelly said.
"Critical care is always busy throughout the year, but we have well tested plans to increase our capacity as and when it is required.
"At this point in time both in Belfast and across the region we are using those escalation plans and we have created additional capacity."
The PHA is urging all pregnant women to get the swine flu vaccine.
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