The number of Central Oregon flu cases so far in January has already climbed past the total for the month of December, according to numbers provided Thursday by St. Charles Health System.

Flu is on the rise across Oregon, but state health officials say it’s not yet reached the levels of the 2009 pandemic.

“It’s moderate, but we are definitely seeing an increase in flu cases,” said Jonathan Modie, spokesman for the Oregon Public Health Division. “It’s not an unusual year but we certainly have seen a rise and we have not peaked. We may not know for several more weeks when we’ll peak.”

Flu vaccine is still available and plentiful, according to Oregon public health officials, and Tamiflu, the prescription medication that inhibits the flu virus ability to replicate, is also readily available in Oregon. Health officials urged those who have not been vaccinated to get vaccinated.

Full story Friday in The Bulletin in print and online.