The influenza season has started early, and is hitting Yukoners hard.

“We are seeing more cases, and more severe cases, than in recent years,” the Department of Health and Social Services said in a statement late last week.

“This is being identified through lab-confirmed cases, ER (emergency room) visits and school absenteeism surveillance reports.

“The picture of influenza in Yukon this year is significantly different from that of the rest of Canada, where most provinces and territories report routine flu activity or no flu activity.”

The Yukon normally averages five cases of confirmed influenza by Dec. 1, the department said.

This year, as of last Thursday, the territory had seen more than 70 confirmed cases.

More than a third of those 70 cases occurred between Nov. 13 and Nov. 19, and flu activity is rising.

Lab-confirmed influenza cases are predominantly in Whitehorse (86 per cent). The remaining 14 per cent of cases are in three rural communities, which the department did not identify.

All cases that have been typed are H3N2, a strain of influenza that typically causes more severe illness.

“As a result, we are seeing a pattern of increased ER visits with higher than expected hospitalization,” the department said.

The Yukon normally sees an average of seven lab-confirmed influenza hospitalizations over the entire 52-week influenza season. As of Nov. 21, there had been eight reported hospitalizations.

This year’s flu vaccine is a good match for the flu strains in circulation, the department said. Getting a safe, free flu shot is the best way to prevent the illness.

The shot helps prevent or reduce the severity of the flu and the need for hospitalization.

Getting the shot helps protect those around you who are vulnerable to the flu (older adults, infants, pregnant women and people with medical conditions that prevent them from getting immunized).

“If you think you have the flu and you are at high risk of severe flu, seek early care from your health care provider,” the department said.

“If you think you have the flu and you are not at high risk, stay home and away from vulnerable people, especially the elderly. Seek medical care if you become very sick or are worried about your illness.”

Yukoners are also advised to wash their hands often and cover their mouths when coughing.