A swine flu vaccination programme will start in September, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has said.
The chief medical officer is to outline later how Northern Ireland will cope with an escalation in swine flu.
Vaccines are expected to arrive in Northern Ireland in August.
Dr Michael McBride said last week that the worst case scenario was 1,800 deaths - a figure he stressed was "not a prediction".
Mr McGimpsey said the vaccines will be delivered on a phased basis and prioritisation will be necessary.
A swine flu vaccination programme is due to begin in September.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said health professionals were operating on a "worst case scenario" of 1,800 deaths, a figure which he emphasised was "not a prediction".
The government has advised pregnant women to avoid crowds and unnecessary travel because they have a greater risk of contracting the virus.
"They are worst case scenario planning assumptions we've made to allow the public sector and businesses to plan for the impact of swine flu," he said.
Vaccines will be delivered on a phased basis and prioritisation will be necessary.
In most cases it will be a mild illness - we get a bit of a temperature, sore throat, sore head, aches and pains, and we take two paracetamol Dr Tom BlackLondonderry GP
"There is no cause for panic - we have been planning for this situation for the last five years, we have had contracts in place for a vaccine should a pandemic occur and it is now being manufactured as we speak.
"All organisations should be looking at these planning assumptions and think about their business continuity plans - in other words, how they keep the show on the road with significant absence rates perhaps of up to 12% or more of their workforce absent at any one time."
Dr McBride said that despite increasing numbers of swine flu cases, the virus had not worsened in recent months.
"We've got to bear in mind that in a very bad seasonal flu like the one in 1999/2000, we had somewhere in the region of 28,000 excess deaths across the UK," he said.
"Normal seasonal flu, particularly with those who have underlying medical conditions, does unfortunately cause complications."
Londonderry GP Tom Black, who has recently returned from a conference on swine flu in London, said the only people who would need to contact their doctor were the young, the elderly and the vulnerable.
We cannot be sure how the current pandemic will develop so it is essential that we prepare for the worst and hope that it does not happen Michael McGimpseyNI health minister
"The message we need to get across is it's a pandemic flu - this is new, we haven't seen this before and yes, most of us will probably catch this," he said.
"However, in most cases it will be a mild illness - we get a bit of a temperature, sore throat, sore head, aches and pains, and we take two paracetamol.
"We don't ring or call into the doctor and we don't access the health services."
A Pandemic Flu Service will be be activated in England next Thursday, but people in Northern Ireland should still contact their GP or the swine flu helpline if they are concerned.
The minister said it was clear the pandemic had resulted in varying levels of pressure on the health service across the UK.
"In Northern Ireland this has been a busier than normal period for our GPs especially considering that we are still in the summer months, however, our GPs and pharmacists are responding extremely well," said Mr McGimpsey.
"Given the current numbers of flu consultations in Northern Ireland we feel the current arrangements remain the best way to get treatment to all those who need it as quickly as possible."
However, he added that the situation was being kept under review.
"We cannot be sure how the current pandemic will develop so it is essential that we prepare for the worst and hope that it does not happen.
"The UK is one of the best prepared countries in the world for this pandemic," said Mr McGimpsey.
