LEVELS of swine flu in Warrington are the third highest in the north west.

According to the Health Protection Agency 108.8 people per 100,000 had flu in the last week of December compared to 82 the previous week with 69 confirmed cases. A more recent set of results will be published at the end of this week.

In Liverpool the rate was 88.5 per 100,000, in Manchester it was 83.5 and worst hit was Stockport at 147.

In spite of its high rate NHS Warrington confirmed it currently has enough swine flu vaccine to give to at risk patients across the borough.

The most vulnerable people include those with lung, heart, kidney, liver or neurological diseases or diabetes.

Also at risk are patients who have had drug treatment for asthma in the past three years, pregnant women, people aged 65 and over and children under five who have any of the above conditions.

Nationally stocks of last year's swine flu jab will be used to plug shortages in this year's vaccination programme as the death toll from the virus continues to rise.

The Government has insisted there should still be enough seasonal flu vaccine for patients in England but that a ‘mismatch’ had occurred, with some regions having too much vaccine and others a shortage.

It came as figures showed 11 more people have died from flu across the UK, taking the number of deaths since the start of October to 50.

Angry patients wanting to be vaccinated have reported being turned away from GP surgeries while some doctors say they have run out.

But GPs, who order the vaccine based on estimates from previous years, are adamant they have not under-ordered.

The swine flu vaccine has a shelf life until the end of 2011. Although it will not offer protection against all strains of flu circulating this year, it will protect against the dominant H1N1 strain.