It's the most wonderful time of the year _ the time when the flu makes its presence known in the United States.
You may not have given influenza much thought, but that's OK _ health officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been doing it for you. They say the virus had been lying low through October, but that's changed since early November.
So far, the dominant strain of influenza here is of a sort that usually produces more misery. It's also the type that's less vulnerable to flu vaccines. Even so, health experts recommend that you get your annual flu shot (or nasal mist), if you haven't done so already.
"Peak influenza activity" usually occurs in the U.S. between December and February. In other words, the flu could strike at any time. It's time to start paying attention.
Here's a look at where things currently stand, courtesy of experts from the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. They published an update Thursday in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
