Across the U.S. the flu is spreading like wildfire.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the country has entered its earliest flu season in ten years. Nine of the Ten U.S. regions have had “elevated” flu activity within the past week.

The Influenza Surveillance Report for the week ending of January 5, stated that for the continental US, was under widespread influenza risk except for the states of Alabama and California who were under regional risk, and D.C. which was under a local risk.

As of Friday January 11, the flu has officially reached epidemic levels, causing 7.3 percent of deaths the week before.

This year’s flu vaccine is 62% effective, or four in ten people who receive the vaccine and are exposed will still become infected.

The vaccine has two strains of influenza A and one strain of influenza B. Strain B has caused around 20 percent of cases, and a different B strain that was not included in the vaccine is responsible for 10 percent of cases. The vaccine itself only has room for 3 strains.

The total amount of vaccines that have been distributed so far in the US this season as of January 11 is over 129.4 million.

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, since September 30, there have been over 484 hospitalizations and eight deaths from the flu. The number has already surpassed last year’s total of 316.

The dramatic rise in hospitalizations from the flu has also caused a rising number of EMSA medics to catch the illness.

Several school districts are reporting higher than average absenteeism for this week, including three schools within the Oklahoma City Public School District.

The flu has gotten so bad that the Cherokee school district canceled school for most of last week after half of the students did not show up for school on Tuesday. Keifer school district also shut down schools due to the amount of students out.

Common ways to avoid the flu include, avoiding close contact with people, covering nose and mouth with tissue or at the least coughing or sneezing into the elbow, and to frequently wash hands or use hand sanitizer.

Experts recommend the vaccine for everyone over 6 months of age, and insist to get the flu, even if it does not prevent it, it can reduce the severity of the illness.

Symptoms of the flu include: a 100 degree fever; cough or sore throat; runny or stuffy nose; headache or body aches; chills, and fatigue or nausea.

The flu virus can live on surfaces for up to eight hours.

Included is a link to a flu shot locator site.

http://flushot.healthmap.org/