US flu season is underway, as cases surge in some areas and vaccinations lag

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. flu season is underway, with cases surging across much of the country, health officials said Friday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted sharp increases in several measures, including lab tests and emergency room visits.

“It's been increasing at a pretty steady pace now for the past several weeks. So yeah, we are certainly in flu season now,” said the CDC's Alicia Budd.

Thirteen states reported high or very high levels of flu-like illness last week, about double from the week before. One is Tennessee, where a sickness spike is hitting the Nashville area, said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at Vanderbilt University.