Flu Hitting Chicago Earlier And Harder This Season, Experts Say

Flu Season Hits Hard
MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 04: Alina Pastoriza Garcia, ARNP-NP-C, administers a flu vaccination to Russell Waddey at the CVS/pharmacy's MinuteClinic on December 4, 2012 in Miami, Florida. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that they are seeing significant increases in flu activity in the U.S. in the last two weeks indicating that an early flu season is underway and are encouraging people to get vaccinated. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 04: Alina Pastoriza Garcia, ARNP-NP-C, administers a flu vaccination to Russell Waddey at the CVS/pharmacy's MinuteClinic on December 4, 2012 in Miami, Florida. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that they are seeing significant increases in flu activity in the U.S. in the last two weeks indicating that an early flu season is underway and are encouraging people to get vaccinated. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

CHICAGO — The flu has hit the Windy City earlier than any time in the previous five years and it's showing no sign of letting up, as hospitalizations increase and reported cases of the highly contagious viral infection continue to climb.

"So far, it's just going up," Julie Morita, medical director for the Chicago Department of Public Health's immunization program, said of the number of cases in the city. "Typically the flu increases in January or later, but this is the earliest we've seen in at least the past five years."

Before You Go

Alina Pastoriza Garcia, ARNP-NP-C, administers a flu vaccination to Russell Waddey at the CVS/pharmacy's MinuteClinic on December 4, 2012 in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot