( CNN ) The flu season is at the midway point , and it 's shaping up to be a difficult one , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . At a press conference Friday in Atlanta , CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said the season has been particularly bad for people 65 and older . Frieden also said that five more children have died since the CDC last reported figures , bringing the number of pediatric deaths up to 26 since the flu season began in the fall . The deaths , however , are believed to be higher due to delays in reporting . Adult deaths are not tracked , but the CDC said that the elderly and people with underlying health conditions are vulnerable to this strain of the flu . Frieden advises doctors to treat people who are sick with the flu with anti-viral medications . Anti-viral medications are dramatically under prescribed and could prevent thousands of hospitalizations and may even save people from death , he said . But pediatrician Lisa Thebner cautions that `` not everyone needs antivirals . '' She said , `` They are mostly recommended for those who are most at risk for complications , '' meaning the very young or old . Frieden said some doctors do n't think the medications work , but if given early , they help ease some of the symptoms of the flu . The CDC had predicted the season would be a bad one after most of the samples taken from people with the flu tested positive for the H3N2 strain . That strain of virus is `` nastier , '' according to Frieden , and generally makes people sicker and results in more hospitalizations and deaths . The CDC reports that most states are seeing widespread cases of flu . In states where the flu season started earlier , it may be slowing down , but there are still weeks of flu left . The flu season usually lasts into the spring . With that in mind , Frieden suggests to go get a flu shot if you have n't been vaccinated . The flu shot this year is not a perfect match for the virus that mutated , but it is the best protection available for people and can lessen the severity of the illness .
The season has been hard on elderly and those with underlying medical conditions . There have been 26 pediatric deaths since the season began in fall , he said .