The US flu season is off to a very early start. It’s targeting the South and West now

The U.S. flu season is off to a very early start, intensifying rapidly. Seven states reported high flu activity last week, compared to two states just a week prior. Over 3% of doctors' office visits last week were for flu-like illness, indicating flu season has truly begun. Dr. Fred Lopez, an infectious diseases specialist, warned that flu season is likely to intensify in the coming month.

The flu hospitalization rate in mid-October was the highest seen that early in over 15 years, according to Dr. Anna Durbin from Johns Hopkins University. At least 2.6 million illnesses, 36,000 hospitalizations, and 2,100 deaths have been attributed to flu infections so far this season. The surge began in the country's South and West, with states like California, Louisiana, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington seeing high flu activity.

It's not uncommon for Louisiana to lead early flu season surges, often due to low vaccination rates, high poverty, and difficulties accessing healthcare. As people travel and gather for Thanksgiving, doctors anticipate accelerated spread of flu and other respiratory viruses. Getting vaccinated is crucial, especially before holiday gatherings, as the vaccine protects against three types of flu virus and can still be effective even if a person has already had an infection this fall.

Last winter's flu season surged in late December, with at least 32 million illnesses, 380,000 hospitalizations, and 24,000 deaths. This fall's illnesses are primarily caused by a mutated A H1N1 flu bug, but current data suggests the vaccine can still recognize and combat this strain. Health officials will not know the vaccine's effectiveness until months later, but for now, there's no cause for concern.