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The number of deaths and people hospitalised due to flu soared last week, the latest figures from the Health Service Executive (HSE) show.
The latest figures show there were 262 confirmed flu hospitalisation cases during the first week of the year.
That brings the total number of hospitalisations since the start of the season, which dates back to early October, to 535. The majority of hospitalised cases were in those aged 65 years and older.
The figures also show the number of deaths during the season rose from 7 to 15 during the first week of the year.
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There were 27 confirmed flu cases admitted to critical care units, as well as 25 acute respiratory infection and flu outbreaks, bringing the season total to 63.
Despite the increase, the current outbreak remains a week or two away from peaking, the HSE's assistant national director of health protection Dr Kevin Kelleher warned on Thursday.
Dr Joan O’Donnell of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, which is the HSE’s information centre for diseases, said the figures could double each week until the outbreak peaks.
“Once it starts going up, and gets a hold, it can double week-on-week until it reaches the peak,” she said. “It is higher than we’ve had in recent years. When it starts going up, it can do so exponentially.”
The predominant virus in circulation is the H3N2 strain which affects older people. National clinical adviser for acute hospitals Dr Colm Henry said last week the strain was having “a greater impact” in terms of hospital admissions with sicker people presenting.
Speaking on Thursday, Dr Kelleher again appealed to healthcare workers to get vaccinated. “Nursing homes where patients and staff have high levels of vaccination rarely have outbreaks,” he said.
Vaccination levels are at between 40 per cent and 50 per cent for the over 65s when they should be 75 per cent to 80 per cent, he said.
“It’s not clear why there is not a higher uptake. There are a lot of misconceptions among the public, and professionals. If a person hears a professional saying they will not be vaccinated then they won’t either.
“We don’t know why this is the case. If we did then we could address that. Vaccination is a very effective way of stopping the transmission and impact of the flu on a person.”
He added that uptake of the flu vaccination this year is “nowhere near” where it ought to be.