Swine flu reached its peak in number of new cases reported in July, in the United Kingdom. However, until recently the number of severe cases and deaths were lower than than what is being seen recently.
The number of swine flu patients being treated in intensive care wards rose by more than 50% this past week, according to the Department of Health in the United Kingdom.
There are currently more than 750 people, of those 102 children, in hospitals in Great Britain. As of tonight, 157 of those are in intensive care.
The estimated number of new cases this week rose to 78,000, which is a substantial increase over the 58,000 reported last week. This is still well below the peak infection rate recorded in July.
According to the government's chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, "we are seeing a level of ... serious illness in hospitals which has easily surpassed the level we saw in July."
In England, there have been 97 swine flu-related deaths since the outbreak began, in Scotland 25, in Northern Ireland eight and in Wales seven.
Relatively few residents in the U.K. have received their H1N1 vaccines yet, and most probably will not be vaccinated until some time in December. However, the first boxes of GlaxoSmithKline's vaccine, Pandemrix, have begun arriving in medical facilities this week.
A civil disobedience group has been protesting the vaccine coming from the U.S. pharmaceutical company. They have put up posters in Birmingham hospitals saying "Swine flu is not the biggest danger. It's the vaccine."
Flu vaccinations are not being recommended in the U.K. for children under five years old.
Resource: The Guardian UK Swine Flu Update
For more information about potential dangers from the vaccine, please read:
H1N1 vaccine contains mercury, Nasal spray contains live H1N1 virus
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