New U.S. government figures reveal that flu-related hospitalizations this month have reached their highest point in more than a decade.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the data estimates for the week ending Oct. 22 confirm approximately 880,000 influenza illnesses nationwide, 6,900 hospitalizations, and 360 deaths from the flu.
The CDC's influenza surveillance network, which tracked the results of 13 states, reports the cumulative hospitalizations rate hasn't been this high since 2010-11.
"Flu season" covers October through May, with notable peaks in December and January.
However, medical experts say this year's flu bug has arrived six weeks early.
"The flu is here. It has started very vigorously. It is early. It's about a month to six weeks early. There's no doubt," said William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and a professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
The most concentrated regions of flu-like symptoms, according to the CDC: Southeast and South-Central states (from Texas to Georgia), and states along the Atlantic Coast.
Regarding hospitalizations, the CDC reports the age groups being hit hardest by the flu are those 65 and older, along with children age four and younger.
Health officials have long been signaling the potential for a brutal winter, illness-wise.
As Newsmax chronicled two weeks ago, CDC officials foretold of certain U.S. areas being "ripe" for a "severe" flu season.
While speaking to NBC News then, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky reasoned that "not everybody got flu vaccinated last year, and many people did not get the flu. So, that makes us ripe to have potentially a severe flu season."
The CDC recommends everyone ages six months and older get a flu vaccine annually.
Schaffner asserts that a dominant strain has yet to emerge among the flu cases. But the influenza strain that's being most reported matches well with the formation of this year's flu shot.
Approximately 21% of adults have already received a vaccine this year, according to the CDC.
Also, the CDC estimates that roughly 22% of children have gotten a flu shot.