All children under the age of five are to be offered the swine flu vaccine it was announced yesterday as it was revealed the virus has claimed two more lives.

However GPs have said they are “extremely disappointed” the minister did not consult them before making the plan public.

The H1N1 vaccination programme is to be extended to children aged between six months and five years old once the first vaccination phase is completed — the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has said it hopes everyone in the first clinical priority group will be immunised by mid-December.

More than 300,000 children will receive the vaccine, which will be administered in schools.

Derry GP and Deputy Chairman of the BMA’s General Practitioner Committee in Northern Ireland Dr Tom Black said: ““There has been no agreement with GPs to deliver the second phase of the vaccination programme.

“As doctors at the centre of the vaccination agenda, we believe that this programme should be planned, agreed and resourced through the four country process.”

Making the announcement yesterday, health chiefs also revealed that a further two people from Northern Ireland have died after contracting the virus, bringing to 13 the total number of people with the virus who have died.

According to the latest figures, the number of swine flu detections are down by by almost half on the previous week, while GP consultations and out-of-hours calls for flu-like symptoms have also dropped by 53% and 39% respectively. The number of anti-virals handed out to patients over the same period has also fallen from 1,374 the previous week to 857 in the latest seven-day monitoring period.

The statistics have also confirmed that GP consultation rates continue to be highest for babies and children up to the age of four.

The move to immunise all children follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) which has also advised that main carers for elderly or disabled people should also be encouraged to take up the vaccination.

Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said: “The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has advised the four UK health ministers that the next phase of the vaccination programme should be focused on children from six months to five years.

“This is because this age group appears to be at greatest risk of serious illness from swine flu. These very young children also have the highest rate of hospitalisation even without any underlying health conditions.

“In line with normal arrangements for vaccinating this age group, parents should expect to receive a letter from their GP once the first priority groups have been vaccinated.

“The JCVI has also advised that the main carers for elderly or disabled people whose welfare may be at risk if their carer falls ill, should be encouraged to take up the vaccine once all the priority groups have been vaccinated.

“We will discuss this advice with carer's organisations.”

He added: “So far almost 7,000 preg

nant women, more than 2,100 children in special schools with severe learning disability and over 20,000 frontline health workers have been vaccinated.

“This is very encouraging and I welcome the fact that so many people have taken the vaccine, particularly those who are at increased risk from the complications of swine flu.

“While the latest figures show that levels of flu-like illness are decreasing, we must not allow ourselves to become complacent.

“Vaccination remains the best way to protect the public. Protect yourself, protect those at risk and get the vaccine.”