There is no doubt that the flu season has arrived and it is making itself known to many – especially in Colorado. This state has been hit particularly hard and the numbers are still rising.

The state’s health department reveals that there were 262 hospitalizations just in the last week, ending on Saturday. Among this number, 190 cases were new. The previous week saw 153 people going to the hospital, and the numbers are expected to rise even higher, say health officials.

In Weld county, two schools that have been hit rather hard are Johnston and Milliken. The flu outbreak started just last week and saw about 15 percent of its students absent. In addition to the flu, other ailments are also circulating. Students and others may also get norovirus, whooping cough and strep throat. Head colds are also making the rounds.

Another county that was hit hard with school absenteeism as a result of flu was the Crowley County School District. Because of flu, three schools were closed. Before the decision to close was given, more than 20 percent of the students were sick at home.

While other counties in Colorado have seen spikes in the number of influenza cases, it has also affected Denver. In that city, there have been 74 hospitalizations for flu, and about a third of them occurred just in the last week.

The number of flu cases nation-wide began to increase more rapidly just after Thanksgiving. Because of people getting together for the holidays again around Christmas and New Year’s, another surge is expected as people all across the nation will be traveling and being in close proximity.

One reason for the flu outbreak in Colorado, as well as in some other states, is because of the type of flu that is going around. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced earlier that the flu vaccine prepared for this year is not a perfect match for the flu going around – which is H3N2.

After analysis of the flu cases that had already occurred, the CDC discovered that more than half the cases were of the H3N2 variety, and not the one the vaccine was made for. The H3N2 influenza is more aggressive than the other one, and it results in stronger symptoms and more deaths than the other forms of flu.

Other states have also had widespread flu cases that have resulted in schools being shut down. Deaths have also been reported in more than one state, with five reported nationwide so far, and two of them were children. The CDC reports that there is an average of about 36,000 deaths annually from influenza.

Even though the flu vaccine is not a perfect match, the CDC advises getting it anyway. It will lessen symptoms even if people get the other form. Once that happens, the CDC suggests getting the regular flu medications from the doctor to relieve the symptoms. They work best when given within 48 hours after the symptoms appear.

One of the best ways to avoid the flu is to keep your hands clean. It should be a much greater concern than airborne bacteria or even people who may be sneezing on you.

Seniors are recommended to get a high-dose flu vaccine rather than a standard one, according to a study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Since most of the deaths that occur each year are about 90 percent seniors, extra caution is needed to protect them. This is especially true for those who are older than 65, frail, and living in a nursing home situation.