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Flu season has started , and although so far it has not been as bad as last twelvemonth ’s , there have been story of some young and middle - age adults developing severe compositor’s case of influenza , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

Today ( Feb. 1 ) , the CDC announced that influenza cases are increase across the commonwealth . And although the commonwealth as a whole is n’t experiencing as much flu as this meter last class , " some localized areas of the United States are already experience mellow activity , [ and ] further increases are expected in the come calendar week , " theCDC suppose in a health alert to physicians .

flu shot, shot, injection, gloves

The most common flu strain circulating now is H1N1 , the same tune of flu that caused apandemic in 2009 .

What ’s more , the CDC has get reports of severe influenza malady develop in vernal to middle - age adult who are infected with H1N1 . Some of these people needed to be admitted to the intensive care unit , and some died , the agency said . Most of these patients had n’t been vaccinated withthis year ’s grippe shot . In the past , H1N1 has been cognize to cause particularly wicked disease in younger adult .

The CDC urged doctors to utilise antiviral medications as soon as possible for everyone hospitalise for suspected flu , and the federal agency tell doctors do n’t call for to wait for a test to confirm that an infection is indeed the flu before beginning the treatment . [ 6 Flu Vaccine Myths ]

A healthy human brain under an MRI scan.

Overall , most U.S. state are reporting minimal grippe unwellness so far this time of year , but three Department of State — Arizona , Maryland and South Carolina — are reporting moderate flu activity , and Puerto Rico is report high activity .

In accession , from Jan. 10 to Jan. 16 , 2.1 percent of people bring down the physician were there because of a influenza - similar malady . The " internal baseline " for flu visits — the threshold for what ’s typically visualise in the off - season — is also 2.1 percent . One marker forthe start of flu seasonis when the percentage of doctor ’s visit for flu reaches or exceeds the national baseline , the agency said .

So far , the hospitalization insurance charge per unit for flu is 1.8 hospitalizations per 100,000 people in the United States . That ’s much lower than the hospitalisation charge per unit at this time last class , when the rate was 36 hospitalizations per 100,000 people .

A healthcare worker places a bandage on a girls� arm after a vaccine

But the CDC note that reports of hospitalizations and deaths from flu typically gaol behind reports of increases in doctor ’s visits for flu . " CDC will extend to watch for indications of increased severity from influenza virus contagion this time of year , " the government agency said .

The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and old obtain a flu guesswork , and it ’s not too late to get one if you have n’t already this time of year , the agency enjoin .

A doctor places a bandaid on a woman�s arm after a shot

Image of five influenza viruses, depicted in bright colors

an infant receives a vaccine

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flu vaccine, vaccine, microneedle, patch, dissolvable microneedle patch

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The flu shot stimulates immunity against a protein called hemagglutinin, which extends from the surface of the flu virus. Hemagglutinin (shown here as little spikes) has a "head" and a "stem."

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a person holds a GLP-1 injector

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an MRI scan of a brain

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