The number of influenza cases in Saskatchewan for the 2018-19 season so far is more than twice as high as it was the previous year. The Population Health branch of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health said the higher number is due to an early start to the flu season. It said it is not unusual for the season to start at different times in different years. In the 2016-17 flu season, there were 380 cases before December 31st. The ministry said more than 280,000 doses of influenza vaccines were administered by Dec. 15, 2018 — eight per cent higher than the previous year.

Source: CBC News January 02, 2019 11:03 UTC