Flu Season Has Arrived

If you’ve managed to scrape by this year without getting the flu, you’re not out of the woods just yet. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported an increase in the number of samples testing positive for the influenza virus, according to msnbc.com. More than 10 percent of respiratory samples tested in the second week of February came back positive for the flu virus, versus about 7 percent the week before.

Plus: Winter Safety Tips

Despite the slowest start in 30 years, the worst of the flu season is only just beginning. The CDC has also found that the number of people coming down with flu-like symptoms is picking up in certain areas around the country, especially the Midwest and Northwest. While the timing varies significantly from year to year, flu season can start as early as October and continue until May. The peak commonly occurs in January or February.

Plus: Survey: Flu Causes 32 Million Missed School Days

“This is really the last chance to get vaccinated,” said Dr. Richard Zimmerman, a family medicine professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “It takes anywhere from one to two weeks for the vaccine to become effective.”

Did you vaccinate yourself and/or your kids against the flu?