The Department of Health has announced that healthy children in Northern Ireland will not be vaccinated for swine flu, starting April.

The department added that there was a vaccine uptake rate of 86.5% for those aged under 65 in at risk groups and 74.9% for those over 65 in at risk groups.

Though the formal vaccination program for those at risk will end, health workers or those who develop an underlying illness or become pregnant can still be vaccinated.

Chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride said, "The pandemic was circulating much less widely in the community but warned that it still posed a risk to those it infected".

"It is particularly important to note that the program for otherwise healthy children will not be continued beyond the end of March, on the advice of Joint Committee on Immunization and Vaccination", he said.

"I would strongly urge any parent who has not yet taken up the offer of vaccine for their child to do so by March 31", said McBride.

Dr. Kieran Deeny, Stormont Independent Health Coalition health committee member and GP, agreed to the decision, saying that the number of cases have, indeed, dropped dramatically and the decision to stop vaccinating children is understandable.