Five people have died from flu-related illnesses within the past week alone, the HSE has confirmed.
This is due to a spike in the numbers affected by flu and norovirus.
Eight people have died in total this season from flu-related illnesses, officials said at a HSE briefing today.
The figures also show there are double the numbers affected by flu and norovirus, with hospital admissions up 7.5% on the previous week.
307 people have been admitted to hospital with flu, predominantly children under five and adults over 65.
The HSE says that 60 and 120 people could die from flu-related illnesses this season.
Dr Kevin Kelleher, Specialist in Public Health, says there has been an increase in cases of the vomiting bug in recent weeks too.
He said: "It happens every two or three years, you see a very big spike of the disease, and we've seen that here and in the UK.
"Norovirus is a very short lived but incredibly unpleasant disease.
He added: "You know you have norovirus because you are vomiting projectile, you'll vomit and it'll go six or eight feet, and the equivalent diarrhea."
