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Flu season has started early in NSW with thousands of confirmed cases already.
NSW Health has confirmed 10,976 cases of influenza A and B already this year, at the same time last year, there were just over 6000 cases.
Experts say a trend is emerging, with flu season starting earlier every year.
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"Partly, it's because of COVID…people were not mixing and they did not get the natural immunity they would otherwise have," Professor Robert Booy from the University of Sydney said.
The recent uptick in flu cases is believed to be coming from passengers returning home from Europe.
While it's hard to predict, health experts say this year's flu will be just as bad or possibly worse than previous years.
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The vaccine is available already, with experts advising to get the jab sooner rather than later.
Influenza isn't the only thing to look out for, with an 8 per cent increase in Respiratory syncytial virus cases in the last week alone.
RSV usually peaks before the flu and can be severe in infants under 12 months.
There are 9000 RSV vaccines available for eligible vulnerable infants in NSW.
