PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A dangerous reality this flu season. The virus is hitting hard right now especially young people according to the Center for Disease Control. Not the best time to be talking about a flu outbreak while so much talk is on the new coronavirus.
With a good bit of due diligence, Teresa Zepeda has been able to help her kids fend off the flu.
"I try to be on top of any little sign of something so thankfully they have not gotten the flu this year," she said.
Zepeda's family is one of the lucky ones. The CDC says the flu season got off to its earliest start in 15 years. 92 flu-related deaths have already been reported in children.
Most cases were caused by a type of flu that usually causes substantial infections only in the spring, at the tail end of the flu season. That wave peaked in late December but a second surge began in January.
At Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center Dr. Rolando Cabrera says it's been a typical year.
"We've seen a good number, a pretty equal amounts of Flu A, Flu B..but it's a pretty typical year as far as number of cases we are seeing this year," he said.
He doesn't see the flu slowing down. In fact, Dr. Cabrera says they diagnosed a number of people Friday.
"So there's still time to get your flu shot. We recommend everyone over the age of six months and I would recommend everyone get it earlier than later because it does take about two weeks to really kick in," he said.
Zepeda says it's all a little scary.
"I get nervous, my kids go to public school, my daughter goes to a babysitter, there's other kids around," she said.
The CDC estimated that 26 million Americans have gotten sick with the flu this past fall and winter.