The Health Protection Agency released its weekly updates on the H1N1 virus outbreak on Thursday showing there were an estimated 18,000 new cases of swine flu during past seven days.
The figure is up from the 14,000 estimated the week previous. There have so far been 76 deaths in England associated with the virus, ten in Scotland, three in Northern Ireland and one in Wales.
The chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson also confirmed that a vaccination programme would begin shortly, according to the Reuters news agency.
The first people to receive the injection will be those suffering with serious illness in hospital and therefore more susceptible to contracting the virus.
Those who work in hospital and have regular constant with the seriously ill will also be vaccinated.
Last week Sir Liam warned of a second wave of the virus as pupils returned to school and the summer ended.
Today he claimed there was a possibility the virus may in fact peak at a lower level than had first been predicted during the initial months of the outbreak.
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