Britain could see tens of thousands of swine flu cases every week within months and the strategy to cope with outbreaks is being changed, the chief medical officer said Thursday.
Liam Donaldson said the virus was likely to thrive in the colder months.
"We still think we are heading for a larger surge of cases in the autumn and winter," he told journalists, adding there could be "tens of thousands of cases" of swine flu each week by the autumn.
"It still remains a fairly mild virus and in most places is only spreading gradually," he added.
Britain has over 3,500 confirmed cases so far, and the government has up to now tried to contain the outbreaks by tracing people who have come into contact with confirmed cases and giving them drugs to stop the flu developing.
But Donaldson said too many people were now being diagnosed for that policy to be practical.
Under the new measures, doctors will use the drug Tamiflu more selectively, targeting only those people who show symptoms rather than trying to trace everyone who has come into contact with sufferers.
In another change, in areas of rapid transmission such as London and the West Midlands, including the city of Birmingham, people with swine flu will be diagnosed by a doctor rather than being confirmed by laboratory reports.
Health minister Andy Burnham said the approach to date of containing the virus had been "highly successful" but "very resource-intensive".
Britain is expected to receive the first batches of vaccines earlier than expected. Donaldson said the first delivery was now due in August, several months ahead of schedule.
Swine flu has infected more than 55,000 people in 109 countries and territories and killed 238 people since late March, the World Health Organisation said Wednesday.
Britain has the highest number of cases in Europe. An additional 288 patients were confirmed Thursday, taking the total to 3,597.
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