3 die in Saskatchewan after contracting flu

Three people in Saskatchewan have died after contracting influenza, health officials announced at a news conference Friday. 

Two of those who died were children under the age of five. The third was a middle-aged person.

All three had underlying health conditions. Officials did not say where they were from.

There have been 161 lab-confirmed cases of the flu this flu season, with the vast majority being the H1N1 strain, according to deputy chief medical health office Denise Werker.

Saskatoon Health Region reports 31 hospitalizations from influenza, with 22 of these occurring since Dec. 23.

Officials are urging members of the public to get their flu shots. The latest formulation of the flu vaccine protects against H1N1.