The Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Health Center has seen an influx almost 300 patients with influenza-like symptoms at its emergency room within a three-week period.
The Department of Public Health says an unusual number of patients with flu-like illnesses, mostly children, was recorded from the last week of October to the first two weeks of November this year.
Officials from the department had earlier warned the public of a surprisingly early wave of flu infections this year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has provided the CNMI with 18,000 doses of flu vaccines but as of last week, the Department of Public Health still had about 16,000 shots available.