RATES OF swine flu infection in the Republic continued to decline over the past week, according to latest figures from the Department of Health.
In a statement yesterday, it said the rate of influenza-like illness in the population dropped to 42.4 cases per 100,000 population over the past week, down from a rate of 51.3 per 100,000 a week earlier.
That is the equivalent of about 2,000 people succumbing to the virus over the past week, down from about 30,000 cases a week in early November.
Rates of infection among children under 5 remain high, at 113.7 cases per 100,000. In school-going children aged 5 to 14, rates of infection stand at 36 cases per 100,000.
No additional deaths from swine flu have been reported in the past week. The total number of deaths from the H1N1 virus in the State to date stands at 22.
The Department of Health stressed that because the rate of infection in children under 5 is significantly higher than that in the rest of the population, it was important to vaccinate them.
The HSE said the vaccination programme in schools will resume after the Christmas holidays.
Over-65s are also being invited to get vaccinated at mass vaccination clinics, as are families of babies under six months, to protect such babies who are too young to be vaccinated. A plan to roll out vaccinations to the rest of the population will be unveiled in January.
The Irish Medicines Board said yesterday 883 reports of adverse reactions to the vaccine had been reported to it. No serious unexpected safety issues had arisen.
A two-year-old child became the latest victim of swine flu in Northern Ireland, it was announced yesterday.