Flu waning or waxing?

Late in December 2012, influenza season kicked into full swing, with well over half of U.S. states reporting widespread activity.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data for the period of Dec. 23-29 noted widespread flu activity in 41 states, up from 31 states the previous week. However, the CDC’s Jan. 11 flu-advisory report for the first week of January showed a decrease in some parts of the country, according to ABC.com.

While flu cases appear to be waning in some states, experts warn that flu season typically peaks in February or March, so the worst might be yet to come.

“It may be decreasing in some areas, but that’s hard to predict,” said CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden. “Trends only in the next week or two will show whether we have in fact crossed that peak.”

Visit www.flunearyou.org to monitor how prevalent influenza cases are in your area.