Early warnings that this could be a tough flu season appear to have been on the mark. 
 
 The Center for Disease Control reports "influenza activity continues to increase in the United States with most of the country now experiencing high levels of influenza-like-illness." 
 
 New Jersey saw a spike in flu reports during the last weeks of December, particularly in the northwest part of the state where temperatures are often lower. 
 
 New Jersey has had about twice the reported number of emergency room visits attributable to influenza as there were during the same week last year, according to the CDC. 
 
 The state's Department of Health says the best way to combat the problem is by getting the flu vaccine, and offers a Find a Flu Shot Locator on their website. 
 
 Across the nation, flu-related child and infant deaths climbed to 18 and outpatient visits for flu symptoms jumped to 5.6 percent. 
 
 The CDC's Tom Skinner says "people who come down with the flu can be pretty sick," with severe muscle aches and high-grade fever lasting 4 or 5 days. 
 
 The Associated Press contributed to this report 
 
 Follow @dgoldbergsl 
 
 
 
 
 
 ||||| January 8, 2013 5:27 AM 
 
 CBS Chicago (con't) Affordable Care Act Updates: CBSChicago.com/ACA Health News & Information: CBSChicago.com/Health 
 
 UPDATED: 1/8/2012 – 5:27 p.m. 
 
 CHICAGO (CBS) — Some Chicago area hospitals on Tuesday were being forced to turn away emergency room patients because of an influx of people suffering from the flu. 
 
 play pause Flu Hitting Hospitals Hard 
 
 WBBM Newsradio's Bernie Tafoya 
 
 
 
 
 
 In the city, University of Chicago, Northwestern and Swedish Covenant were among eight Chicago area hospitals that directed ambulances elsewhere at some point on Monday or Tuesday, because they were treating so many patients with the flu. 
 
 Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn lifted its ambulance bypass order at 9 p.m. on Monday. 
 
 As of about 5 p.m. Tuesday, the Chicago Fire Department said six hospitals were “on bypass” because of the flu. 
 
 “Emergency departments are getting overrun with people with respiratory illness,” said Melaney Arnold, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, told the Chicago Sun-Times. “We are seeing an increase in influenza cases.” 
 
 Hospitals on “bypass” temporarily divert ambulances to other hospitals because of a high volume of patients. 
 
 The University of Chicago Medical Center emergency room has seen 166 flu cases this season, compared to just 43 last year. 
 
 Dr. Allison Bartlett said, even though flu season has already started, people should still get a flu shot. 
 
 “It takes about two weeks between when you get the flu shot and when you’re protected against the flu,” she said. 
 
 Hospitals haven’t been the only places seeing a lot more patients because of the flu. Many clinics at Walgreens and CVS pharmacies have been flooded with patients with flu-like symptoms. 
 
 Waddie Grant started suffering flu-like symptoms Tuesday morning. First, he tried to get in to see his doctor, but couldn’t get in right away, so he decided to go to a Walgreens Take Care Clinic in the Loop. 
 
 “I started feeling this little lump in my throat, and then some kind of a slight temperature,” he said. “I don’t want to get sick.” 
 
 Walgreens pharmacy manager Nancy Salman said, “The Take Care Clinic has been extremely busy. It’s been inundated with appointments, and walk-ins. They’ve seen anywhere from 20 to 25 patients a day.” 
 
 The flu season in Chicago started much earlier than normal and is expected to be one of the worst in several years, medical experts have said. 
 
 Illinois Public Health Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck told WBBM Newsradio that last year at this time, there had only been two people with flu-like symptoms admitted to the intensive care units of hospitals in Illinois, with no deaths. 
 
 So far this season, he says, 147 people have been admitted to hospital intensive care units due to the flu, and six of those people have died. 
 
 Patients in need of critical care–such as those suffering from a stroke–would still be admitted to hospitals on bypass, Arnold told the Sun-Times. 
 
 The flu is hitting earlier and harder this year not only in Chicago but across the country, WBBM Newsradio’s Lisa Fielding reports. 
 
 “We aren’t seeing very sick people. We’re just seeing more sick people,” said Mary Alice Lavin, Director of infection, prevention and control with Rush University Medical Center. 
 
 Lavin says even though they encourage the flu vaccine, it doesn’t always guarantee immunity. 
 
 “The viruses that were included in the vaccine this year are the ones that are circulating this year but studies have shown that the vaccine is only effective in 60 percent of people.” 
 
 play pause Will Vaccine Work? 
 
 WBBM Newsradio's Lisa Fielding 
 
 
 
 
 
 Lavin says those who’ve gotten the vaccine don’t get as sick as those who haven’t. 
 
 The flu shot also takes about two weeks to be effective. Rush has seen 203 cases of the flu since Nov. 5, much higher than years past. Flu season usually lasts through March. 
 
 Dr. Julie Morita of the Chicago Department of Public Health says city residents can call 311 to find out where to get a free flu shot. 
 
 Doctors also advise patients who have had the flu for two days to avoid coming to the emergency room. Instead, stay home and treat yourself with plenty of fluids, rest and proper hygiene. Flu medications are only effective if taken during the initial stages of symptoms. 
 
 Dr. David Zich, internal medicine and emergency medicine physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, says that if you get flu symptoms, you’re still considered contagious until 24 hours after your fever is gone. 
 
 At Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Dr. Brian Sayger, vice-chairman of Emergency Medicine, suggests that, if you start coming down with flu-like symptoms such as a high fever, achy body, chills and shakes, within 48 hours, you should ask your doctor to prescribe an antiviral flu drug like Tamiflu. 
 
 Antivirals, he says, tend to work best at reducing the severity of symptoms–not ending the flu–if taken in that two-day window. ||||| The flu is racing across nearly 30 U.S. states and it's leaving a deadly trail 
 
 Melissa Roberts, left, administers a flu vaccine to Kelly Ternes at the Okaloosa County Health Department in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Dec. 20, 2012. (Photo: Nick Tomecek, AP) Story Highlights Eighteen children have died, over 2,200 people hospitalized so far 
 
 Flu is widespread throughout the U.S. 
 
 Nearly 30 states have flulike activity 
 
 Chances are that you or someone you know has been chained to the bed recently with fever, fatigue, sore throat and muscle aches. 
 
 That's because the current flu season is turning out to be a bad one, affecting more people than usual, starting earlier and covering a broader geographical area. Government health experts say 18 children, under age 18, have died because of the seasonal flu and 2,257 people had been hospitalized with flu symptoms through the end of 2012. 
 
 "The sense that everybody has is that there's been an extremely rapid increase in influenza," says Trish Perl,co-leader of a flu study encompassing about 100 clinics in several cities. She is also an epidemiologist for the Johns Hopkins Health System in Baltimore. "It has been relatively widespread across the United States." 
 
 The public should be concerned, says Gregory Poland, professor of medicine and infectious disease at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. 
 
 "A decade ago, when we had widespread circulation (of the seasonal flu), we had 70,000 deaths in the U.S.," says Poland, who directs Mayo's Vaccine Research Group. 
 
 "We have this cultural thing in the U.S. about, 'Oh, it's just the flu.' I was telling a group yesterday, imagine in October I said, 'We expect a virus to be circulating in the U.S. and it will kill 30- or 40,000 Americans.' Can you imagine the panic that would ensue?" 
 
 For the fourth week in a row, the proportion of people seeing health care providers for flulike illness is above the national baseline, and jumped from 2.8% to 5.6% in that time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Last season's proportion peaked at 2.2%, the CDC reports. 
 
 Twenty-nine states plus New York City are now reporting high flulike activity, up from 16 states the week before, the CDC says. Forty-one states reported in the last week of December that flulike activity was widespread geographically, with that number up from 31 states the week before, according to the CDC. 
 
 During the last week of 2012, 7% of all deaths reported in 122 U.S. cities were due to pneumonia and the flu, according to the CDC. That figure is just below the epidemic threshold of 7.1% for the last week of the year. 
 
 The medical industry is concerned because this is the earliest flu season the U.S. has seen in the past 10 to 12 years, says Michael Jhung, an epidemiologist and influenza expert at the CDC. 
 
 Flu season usually peaks in January and February, according to the Flu.gov website maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services. 
 
 The predominant type of flu that is circulating is H3N2 Influenza A virus, which is making up 76% of the viruses reported, according to the CDC. 
 
 The outbreak has strongly affected the East and the South and is spreading westward, Poland says. 
 
 Perl reports from her studies that initially health professionals were seeing a lot of Influenza B, but now they are seeing mostly A as well as other respiratory illnesses, including respiratory syncytial virus or RSV. 
 
 H3N2 flu seasons tend to be more severe, Poland of the Mayo Clinic says. 
 
 On the ground, the outbreak has sent more people to doctors and hospitals with flu symptoms. 
 
 For instance, in Minnesota, 600 people were hospitalized because of the flu and four people died, Poland says. Among those who died was an otherwise healthy 17-year-old boy who was visiting the Twin Cities area from Texas, according to Poland. 
 
 The professor said he's hearing similar stories from colleagues around the country of people who are generally healthy being hit hard. 
 
 In Indiana, seven deaths have been associated with influenza, two in people younger than 18. 
 
 "It's not too late to get vaccinated, and the CDC encourages everyone who hasn't been to do so soon," Jhung says. 
 
 Enough vaccine has been produced and distributed so that everyone who wants a shot should be able to get one. He urges, though, that if people run into delays because of a run on vaccine, not to be discouraged. 
 
 "People … may have to go to more than one pharmacy," Jhung says. 
 
 Perl says the outbreak also is a good opportunity for the public to remember that hand-washing and use of sanitizing gels can reduce infection rates by 30%. 
 
 "It's an opportunity for us to reinforce those basic things your mom always told you," she says. 
 
 While health experts advise people to get the flu vaccine and use hand sanitizer, some research shows children who attend daycare or tend to be exposed to more allergens may build up stronger defenses. VPC 
 
 Contributing: Tim Evans, The Indianapolis Star 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/UwBwcC ||||| LAKE COUNTY, Ohio — The Lake Health system has begun limiting visitors to its facilities to help control the spread of the seasonal flu. 
 
 The West Medical Center and TriPoint Medical Center are temporarily limiting visitations to two per patient. Visitors must also be 19-years-old or older. 
 
 The medical centers are also requesting visitors with flu-like symptoms, or have been diagnosed the flu within the past seven days, to refrain from visiting patients. All visitors are also asked to wash their hands before and after visiting a patient, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer to help control the spread of the flu. 
 
 The temporary visitation guidelines come as the Centers for Disease Control announced this season’s flu is both more potent than in previous years, and spreading quicker than average. 
 
 So far, the CDC says at least 41 states have reported cases of the seasonal flu. 
 
 For more information about the seasonal flu and visitation guidelines, visit the Lake County General Health District website by clicking here. 
 
 The website for the Centers for Disease Control can be found here. ||||| HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. - We're still weeks away from the historical peak of the flu season, but now it appears the nation may be behind the curve as the flu is already spreading like wildfire. 
 
 Here in Florida, the panhandle, central Florida and southern Florida are seeing the biggest jump in cases. 
 
 The issue concerning many is the fact that some got a flu shot, but still have contracted the virus. 
 
 Breaking down the numbers, the Centers For Disease Control has tracked at least 2,257 hospitalizations and 18 deaths nationwide among just children this flu season. 
 
 The days of people 65 and over and young kids being the ones who were the most at risk and were strongly encouraged to get a vaccine are now over. 
 
 The CDC is recommending that everyone get vaccinated this year and no, its not too late! 
 
 Getting vaccinated each year provides the best protection against influenza throughout the flu season. 
 
 The train being seen a lot this year is that of H3N2. 
 
 The good news is, this year's vaccine was made from an H3N2 flu like virus, with each vaccine containing three different viruses, giving the vaccinated individual even more protection. 
 
 But its not full proof if you come in contact with another strain. 
 
 It's getting so bad that some cities, like Cleveland and Boston, are reporting that hospitals are restricting visitors for fear of contamination. 
 
 "We are evaluating whether we are going to need to take other special measures such as screening visitors to the institution, screening employees as measure to try and control, or better understand the volume of influenza in the hospital," says Dr. Kenneth E. Sands of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. 
 
 So does it mean that this year's vaccine isn't working because the outbreak is the worst the nation has seen in years? 
 
 "No, it doesn't mean that at all," says Dr. Robert Glatter of Lenox Hill Hospital on Manhattan's Upper East Side. "Generally, in proportion to the population, a number of people will still contract the flu virus even though they've been vaccinated." 
 
 Doctors say the vaccine is still your best defense though. While you may still contract the virus, it may not be as severe. Physicians also point out that the vaccine takes about two weeks to take full effect in the body. The CDC is suggesting those who have severe flu symptoms or are at risk of serious flu-related symptoms to also think about taking an anti-viral medication. 
 
 In addition to the vaccine, be sure to do all the things right to keep yourself clean. 
 
 Washing your hands constantly, keeping your hands away from your face, taking a shower immediately when you get home, and remembering that you could still infect someone with the flu seven days after your symptoms are gone, so be sure to STAY HOME if you think you may have it. 
 
 To pinpoint the flu impact in your specific area, visit http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Disease_ctrl/immune/flu/index.html and to find a place you can get your flu shot visit http://www.hillscountyhealth.org/
– As predicted, this year's flu season is already a doozy: It features a more severe strain, it started earlier, it's hitting more people, and it has affected a wider swath of the country than usual, USA Today reports. Flu season started earlier this year than it has in the past 10 to 12 years, and by the end of 2012, 18 children had died and 2,257 had been hospitalized as a result. And things could get much worse: One Mayo Clinic expert recalls that "a decade ago, when we had widespread circulation [of seasonal flu], we had 70,000 deaths in the US." The proportion of people with flulike symptoms and the states reporting such illnesses are both on the rise, and a flurry of local stories today illustrate the problems in various states: There's quite an abundance, but here's a sampling: Flu cases spiked in New Jersey last month, the Star-Ledger reports; the state has seen about twice the number of flu-related ER visits as it did last year. In Chicago, some ERs are actually turning away patients because they're so overwhelmed with flu cases, CBS Chicago reports. In Cleveland, medical centers are limiting visitors in an effort to control the spread, Fox 8 reports. And in Florida, even people who got a flu shot still got sick, ABC News reports. NPR explains that this is a common problem, since the vaccine is only 60% effective—plus it takes about two weeks to kick in, and doesn't necessarily cover all strains of the virus.