SACRAMENTO  (AP) — Health officials say there have been two flu deaths in the Sacramento area and influenza cases are increasing throughout the region.

A young man and an elderly patient died in late December. There is no information on the victims.

The Sacramento Bee says doctors are beginning to see signs that a flu outbreak is taking hold. Much of the nation is already gripped in an outbreak.

Kaiser Permanente infectious disease chief Dr. David Herbert says there has been an uptick in vaccinations and in people arriving at Sacramento area clinics with flu symptoms.

Kaiser has up to 50 percent of the market of insured consumers in Northern California and it is instrumental in helping the state Department of Public Health officials track flu cases.