TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Centers of Disease Control (CDC) announced on Tuesday (Jan. 7) that flu season has officially reached its peak, as respiratory illnesses took two more lives last week.

CDC said more than 110,000 Taiwanese sought flu treatments last week and that 79 patients had severe symptoms and required intensive care. It added that 26 Taiwanese have lost their lives after contracting flu, with the youngest case being a 47-year-old woman from southern Taiwan who passed away last week.

CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) added there were two fatalities last week, women who were 67 and 47 years old, who suffered from a cardiovascular disease and cancer. She said the younger patient was pronounced dead five days after being diagnosed with flu, reported UDN.

Liu Ting-ping (劉定萍), director of the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center, said many students were exposed to the flu virus at schools, with the majority of them catching the Influenza A H1N1 virus. She encouraged citizens to get free flu vaccinations at local hospitals as flu patient numbers in Taiwan continue to climb, reported Liberty Times.