In week ending 23 November, the infection rate stood at 25.4 cases per 100,000 people \u2013 up from 14.3 per 100,000 the previous week, according to the latest data published by the Public Health Agency<\/a> (PHA).<\/p>\n Dr Peter Naughton, a health protection consultant with the PHA, said the flu season had started earlier this year, and there had been a higher number of cases.<\/p>\n “One utter new feature of the flu season this year has been the higher rate of positive tests we’ve seen in children,” he said.<\/p>\n Hospitals are seeing increased numbers of children with the flu [Getty Images]<\/p>\n Dr Thomas Bourke, a consultant paediatrician who also works at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, said cases have doubled.<\/p>\n He urged parents to only take their children to the emergency department if they are seriously unwell.<\/p>\n “We understand it’s very difficult for parents when their child is sick at home but there are lots of sources of information and places where they can get support,” he said.<\/p>\n The Belfast Trust has a symptom checker on their website<\/a> to help parents judge how serious their child’s symptoms are.<\/p>\n Most children recover from the flu without any treatment in about a week, it says on the website.<\/p>\n The emergency department at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children is extremely busy as a result of flu cases [BBC]<\/p>\n What are the main symptoms of flu?<\/p>\n Suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea<\/p>\n How to prevent the flu<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7fa49ad78346bec11b888771fc11ebbd.jpeg\"\/)
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