The state will likely see an increase in swine flu cases in the next few weeks, after a summer lull, the state Health Department warned yesterday.

Meanwhile, state health officials are also reminding parents that Friday is the deadline to file a consent form for their child to be vaccinated against swine flu in school clinics. Late consent forms, they said, probably won't be accepted because of the high demand and short supply for the vaccine.

The clinics for children ages 5 to 13 will be held starting next month.

At a news conference yesterday, health officials said the swine flu vaccine is trickling into the state as it's being manufactured and sent out.

As of yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had allocated the state 104,000 doses of the vaccine for the H1N1 virus, based on its population. "The vaccines are starting to trickle in," said Dr. Chiyome Fukino, director of the state Health Department, at the news conference.

The nation is scrambling to manufacture and distribute the swine flu vaccine, anticipating a significant increase in swine flu cases — and deaths — this winter. On the Mainland, the flu has already caused unprecedented illness, with 46 states showing widespread flu activity.

President Obama has declared the outbreak a national emergency.

With its limited supply, the H1N1 vaccine is so far available only to priority groups, including kids, pregnant women and health care workers. Even those with priority status aren't always able to get the vaccine.

Health Department spokeswoman Janice Okubo said yesterday the department is trying to get the vaccines to doctors' offices and "community vaccinators" as "evenly as possible" so they can be distributed to residents.

The state Health Department no longer keeps track of how many in Hawaii have contracted the flu, but officials did say yesterday that more people in the state are getting swine flu than seasonal flu.

So far, 11 deaths related to the H1N1 virus have been recorded in the state — including at least one adult and child who did not have underlying health problems.

Dr. Sarah Park, head of the Health Department 's Disease Outbreak and Control Division, said yesterday that past trends and new information from doctor's offices indicate that Hawaii could see an uptick in swine flu cases.

She expected that increase over the next few weeks.

"It looks like it's going to start to rise very shortly," Park said.

In response to concerns nationally about whether the vaccine is safe, Park added, "It is as safe as any other childhood vaccine out there."

She urged parents to get the vaccine for their kids through clinics. "There's an easy way to protect your kids, and that's by vaccinating them."