The number of people seeking care for flu-like illnesses so far this year is slightly lower than usual, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday.
They recommended getting a flu shot before cases of the illness likely begin increasing during peak flu season in late December-early January.
For the week ending Oct. 17, the CDC reported 1.4 percent of Americans had seen a healthcare professional for "influenza-like illness." That number is down from the national baseline number of 2.1 percent at the same point in previous years.
All 50 states "experienced minimal [flu] activity," during the week measured, according to the CDC.
So far this flu season, 109.4 million influenza vaccine doses have been distributed in the United States, according to the CDC. A total of 147.8 million doses were distributed during the 2014 flu season — the second-highest number since 1980.
