While there are reports saying this season's flu vaccine in parts of Canada and the US may have low effectiveness rates, the southwest may not be lumped into that group.

Dr. David Torr, consulting medical health officer with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, said even though it's the still the middle of the flu season the vaccine in the southwest is matching up well with the illnesses in the area.

"They have the most common circulating influenza viruses right now and most of them are responsive to the vaccine," he said. "The exact percentage of responsiveness we always get at the end of the season. Certainly, there is a match for both the A type influenzas and the B type influenzas which are circulating and are components in the vaccine."

To date, Saskatchewan has experienced 1,029 lab-confirmed cases since the start of September with last year totalling 1,900.

Torr said they're seeing proof that vaccine is paying off at hospitals around the southwest.

"The degree of illness is much less if they're immunized and the illness is much more severe if they're not immunized," he explained. "When you look at intensive care units not just across the province but across the country, you're finding that those who don't have the vaccine are much more severely ill and for much longer periods of time."

According to Torr, he believes the peak in type A influenzas already happened, with type B coming much earlier this season and they're starting to build up and gain momentum.