Flu Activity On The Rise In Virginia, District: CDC

The United States can expect to see an increase in influenza activity in the coming weeks, the CDC said in its latest Morbidity and Mortality Report. While it's difficult to predict when flu activity will peak in the U.S., the CDC said after low flu activity in October, cases have been increasing since early November, especially in the South.

As of Dec. 2, seven children have died of flu nationwide this season, according to the report, and more than 850 people have been hospitalized.

Flu activity in the U.S. generally begins as early as October and can last as late as May. According to the CDC, flu activity generally peaks sometime between December and February.

For the week ending Dec. 2, health officials in Virginia reported low flu activity and the District of Columbia reported "minimal" flu activity, one step down from "regional" activity. That means Virginia and DC saw outbreaks of flu or increased influenza-like illness, including recent laboratory confirmed influenza, in at least one region of the state or district, according to the CDC.

During the same time period, six states — Georgia, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas — reported widespread flu activity. The CDC also reported that several indicators used to measure flu activity were higher than is typically seen for this time of year.

Here's what you need to know about the upcoming flu season:

Get Your Flu Shot

The CDC says getting a flu shot is currently the most effective method of avoiding the flu. While vaccine effectiveness can range from season to season, the CDC says a majority of cases reported so far — while small — have been characterized as being similar to the recommended 2017-18 Northern hemisphere flu vaccine components. According to the CDC, this suggests that getting vaccinated should provide similar protection as past seasons.

The CDC recommends getting your flu shot by the end of October as it takes two weeks for antibodies to develop that protect against the flu. Getting vaccinated later is still beneficial, the CDC says.

Difficult To Tell Which Flu Strain Will Dominate The Season

The CDC says it is difficult to determine what flu virus will dominate the season but flu vaccine is less effective against the currently circulating A(H3N2) virus. In past flu seasons when A(H3N2) has dominated, hospitalizations and deaths were more common. Influenza A viruses have been most commonly identified since Oct. 2017 with A(H3N2) viruses predominating, according to the CDC.

Looking To Flu Season In Australia

A report published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday says that reports from Australia about the flu season there have caused mounting concern for what might be in store for the U.S. The flu season in Australia saw record-high numbers of confirmed flu cases and outbreaks and higher-than-average hospitalizations and deaths.

The A(H3N2) virus dominated in Australia and the preliminary estimate of vaccine effectiveness against the strain was only 10 percent, the NEJM reports.

"The implications for the Northern Hemisphere are not clear, but it is of note that the vaccine for this upcoming season has the same composition as that used in the Southern Hemisphere," the journal said.

Still, the NEJM says that while the flu vaccine may be imperfect its always better to get vaccinated than not to get vaccinated.

Flu-Related Deaths So Far

Of all deaths in the U.S. during the week ending Nov. 11, 5.7 percent were related to pneumonia and influenza, the CDC reports. That percentage is below the epidemic threshold of 6.5 percent. As of Nov. 25, the CDC also reported five lab-confirmed pediatric deaths during the 2017-18 flu season.

Watch Now: Flu Activity On The Rise

SEE ALSO: Young Phoenix Mom Dies 2 Days After Flu Diagnosis

Photo by Jacquelyn Martin/Associated Press

By Feroze Dhanoa, Patch National Staff