CANBERRA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The number of influenza deaths in Australia since the beginning of the year have tripled from the same period in 2018, the government said on Wednesday.

新华网堪培拉5月22日电--澳大利亚政府今日表示，自今年年初以来，澳大利亚的流感死亡人数比2018年同期增长了两倍。

Data released by the Department of Health on Wednesday revealed that 99 people have died from the flu in Australia between January 1 and May 20.

卫生部周三公布的数据显示，自1月1日至5月20日，澳大利亚已有99人死于流感。

It is a near 200 percent increase from the 34 deaths in the same period in 2018 and from the five-year national average, which is also 34.

2018年同期的死亡人数为34例，与近5年全国平均值(也是34例)持平，对比这个数字2019年增长了近200%。

The number of cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza was 54,432, a 450 percent from the five-year average of 9855 and a 304 percent increase from 13,444 in the same period in 2018.

2019年至今，经实验室确诊的流感病例为54432例，比近五年平均数9855例增加了450%，比2018年同期的13444例增加了304%。

In Victoria, Australia's second biggest state by population, influenza has killed 26 people -- three children and 23 aged-care residents -- compared to zero deaths at the same time in 2018.

在澳大利亚人口第二大的维多利亚州，流感已造成26人死亡，其中3名儿童和23名养老院老人，而在2018年，这一数字为零。

Jenny Mikakos, the state's Health Minister, told News Corp Australia that the high toll was a result of flu season starting earlier than usual.

该州卫生部长Jenny Mikakos对澳大利亚新闻界表示，流感高发源于流感季来得比往年早。

"We are seeing a lot of communicable diseases spread through overseas travel, that's certainly been the case in terms of measles cases and flu cases," she said.

她说：“我们看到很多传染病通过海外旅行传播，在麻疹病例和流感病例方面，情况确实如此。”

"We have seen a very significant summer flu season this year as a result of people coming back from the northern hemisphere with the flu and that spreading in the community.

“今年这个严重的夏季流感的到来，是由于人们从北半球回来时感染了流感病毒，并在社会上逐渐传播。

"(Juvenile flu deaths) tend to be associated with situations where there might be other illnesses and vulnerabilities involved with those children."

(青少年因流感死亡)往往与这些儿童的其他疾病和体质太弱有关。

More than 11.4 million doses of the influenza vaccine have been administered nationwide.

目前全国已接种流感疫苗1140多万剂。