With its peak still likely several months away, the 2017-2018 flu season is already shaping up to be a nasty one.
Reported cases of influenza in Arizona are up 758% over this time last year. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the flu is at widespread conditions in 12 states as of Dec. 9.
Arizona, which is not one of the states highlighted by the CDC, says there are 2,629 more reported cases of the flu this year that there were at this time in 2016 (when it was just 347), the highest number of cases since it began tracking flu activity.
So far this influenza season 2,976 influenza cases have been reported, compared to just 347 cases last season. That’s an increase of more than 700%. Protect yourself and your family against the flu, get your flu shot! #FightFlu https://t.co/5AZ1Tmn5JD pic.twitter.com/8gQFDtBOzs
— AZ Department of Health (@AZDHS) December 20, 2017
The CDC tracking, which measures geographic spread and not the severity of the flu, notes that California, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma are all in the midst of a widespread outbreak. California’s Department of Public Health says 2,119 people have tested positive for the flu in that state.
The flu typically peaks between December and February and the season can last as long as May. Health officials say it’s absolutely not too late to get a flu shot to improve your odds of avoiding this year’s outbreak.