U.S. health officials say at least seven states are seeing high levels of the flu and that cases are rising in other parts of the country.

The U.S. flu season is underway, with at least seven states reporting high levels of illnesses and cases rising in other parts of the country, health officials say.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted new flu data on Friday, showing very high activity last week in Louisiana, and high activity in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico and South Carolina. It was also high in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, the U.S. territory where health officials declared an influenza epidemic earlier this month.

“We’re off to the races,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert

Traditionally, the winter flu season ramps up in December or January. But it took off in October last year, and is making a November entrance this year.

    • darthskull@lemmy.ca
      1·
      10 months ago

      How effective is it this year, anyone know? I got mine and the new COVID shot around the same time early October

      • ImFresh3x@sh.itjust.works
        2·
        10 months ago

        Depends on the strain. But on average it’s about 50% this year it seems. Lowering my odds of losing a week by 50% seems worthwhile for me though. I hate being sick. And I hate getting behind.

        • grilledcheesecowboy@kbin.social
          8·
          10 months ago

          From the article:

          Among children and young people aged 0 – 19 years in the US, COVID-19 ranked eighth among all causes of death; fifth among all disease-related causes of death; and first in deaths caused by infectious or respiratory diseases.

          Unless I’m reading that wrong covid was never the leading cause of death for people under 18.

          • Seventhlevin@lemmy.world
            1·
            10 months ago

            Seems to be a thing that is ubiquitous here on lemmy. Someone posts a source that does not support their position, gets dozens of upvotes.

        • DrMango@lemmy.world
          5·
          10 months ago

          Among children and young people aged 0 – 19 years in the US, COVID-19 ranked eighth among all causes of death; fifth among all disease-related causes of death; and first in deaths caused by infectious or respiratory diseases.

          It was not even true a year ago, actually, unless you slice the data down to only look at deaths caused by infectious or respiratory diseases which, frankly, feels like a pretty obvious outcome for 2020-2022.