This represents a 17-fold increase on the 85 cases in the region during the same period last year.

June was the peak month in the region for influenza in Western NSW with 589 cases this was followed by July with 583.

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The reason behind the staggering increase in cases is not clear, Western NSW Local Health District communicable disease and immunisation manager Sue Turcato said.

"It does tend to fluctuate from year-to-year and some seasons you do have more cases, but there's no way to really predict it," she said.

Peak flu season is usually June to August each year, but Ms Turcato said last year's flu season did not really come to an end.

"Influenza just kept going all through the summer period which means we actually started the flu season earlier this year," she said.

Across NSW there have been 68,909 influenza notifications so far this year with 106 confirmed deaths.

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Statewide there have been more flu cases in young people than any other age group, with 10,943 in children aged 5-9 years old; and 9901 in children aged 0-4 years.

While no vaccines provide 100 per cent coverage, Ms Turcato said if a higher number of people do get a flu shot there is usually less cases of influenza.

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This year free flu vaccines became available for children under five years old and she said this has lead to an increase in people of that age group being vaccinated.

"It's never too late [to be vaccinated] because we've still got two to three weeks of the official flu season, but last year we did see cases go well into the summer months," Ms Turcato said.

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